The Politics of Public Deliberation

Innovative democratic institutions have been developed to engage citizens directly in deliberations about public policy. All around the globe ordinary people are being invited to contribute their considered views on complex policy issues to decision makers. The Politics of Public Deliberation explores how these novel approaches to citizen engagement work alongside the array of political institutions and practices that are not based on participatory and deliberative norms. In particular, it looks at how such approaches are received and accommodated by key political actors who are more accustomed to interest-based modes of political communication, such as pressure groups, corporations, associations and experts. It takes a critical look at the relationship between the ideals of public deliberation and the political world of interest advocacy, where partisanship, power, and interests abound. Drawing on the experiences of four citizen engagement projects, the book offers rare insights into the political world of public deliberation, and the reasons why partisan actors engage in or reject processes of citizen engagement.