Thinking about non-deliberative politics in democracy

What is it about?

In thinking about democracies as complex systems we are faced with the question of whether we should promote only the forms of political participation we deem more valuable or whether we should be open to other forms too. For instance, it is rather clear that if we want to enhance deliberative democracy we might want to promote more deliberative engagement. But what role should we give to non-deliberative politics? I argue that deliberative democrats should insist on the need for deliberative democratic institutions, should demand greater deliberative engagement from powerful actors (when invested with political powers) and should be wary of imposing deliberative forms of participation on the public.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This paper helps understanding the complex relationship between deliberative and non-deliberative forms of participation to politics and envisioning ways forward to promote deliberative democracy.

Perspectives