Public Deliberation Consortium
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Deliberative Democracy and Citizenship: In Search of the Efficacy Effect
No full textEnthusiasm for deliberative democracy has grown in recent years, as many believe that it can create better citizens generally, and particularly increase their perceptions of political efficacy. Although the “efficacy effect” is frequently touted as a rationale for engaging in deliberative processes, there is little empirical research on the subject. This study examines the impact on perceptions of internal and external political efficacy of participation in one manifestation of a deliberative democracy process, the AmericaSpeaks 21st Century Town Meeting. Using quasi-experimental, longitudinal survey data, the study finds partial support for the claim that deliberative democracy produces the efficacy effect. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed
Academic Libraries As Hubs For Deliberative Democracy
No full textColleges and universities often overlook academic libraries as venues for deliberative democracy. As agencies that span boundaries across traditional structural and political barriers, libraries are ideal hubs for practicing democracy on campus. They can offer safe spaces for dialogue, engaging programs about real issues in American democracy, and opportunities for students to learn civic literacy skills essential to a self-governing society. By repositioning themselves to advance the civic mission of higher education, academic librarians are poised to become essential partners and catalysts for preparing the next generation to participate in a flourishing 21st century democracy
The Troubled History of Philosophy and Deliberative Democracy
No full textPhilosophy has not enjoyed a prominent place in current education movements aimed at strengthening civic engagement and promoting deliberative democracy. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of democracy and philosophy that demonstrates their long but troubled relationship. We argue that the history of Western philosophy provides a much overlooked foundational role in deliberative democracy that must be understood if we are to educate citizens. Furthermore, we argue that philosophy’s central contribution to the contemporary understanding and practice of deliberative democracy is its fostering of the critique of assumptions. We conclude the article with specific pedagogic recommendations that can bring philosophy and deliberative democracy to life for our students both in and beyond the classroom
Political Science and the Work of Democracy
No full textThe study of democratic theory and democratic politics is at the core of the discipline of political science. Yet the very centrality of democracy to the discipline may be what makes it difficult to sort out whether political science is doing the work of democracy rather than simply the analysis of it. Political science’s origins were civic minded but it has evolved into a more professionalized observer of politics than a promoter or creator of democracy. Nonetheless, in recent years there has been, as in many disciplines, a renewed interest in the civic component of our work and a challenge to the dominant paradigms of disinterested analysis and formal modeling. There are promising developments in political science that are contributing to the deliberative democracy “movement,” both in research and pedagogy
An Innovation for JPD and a Transition: The Profession and a Confession of an Editor
No full textAbstract The following article is a short description of a new direction taken by this Volume VI, that is, a Symposium on Teaching Deliberative Democracy in many different fields of Academe. It is also an explanation of the past, present and future of JPD, all of which are bright
Diversity for What?: The Paradox of University Diversity and the New Civic Rationale
No full textThis article examines the underlying logic behind what I call the new civic rationale for university diversity. I draw on a diverse literature to explore the varying ways in which diversity could be connected to democratic participation. I argue that the prevailing conception of diversity, what I call the contact thesis is inadequate preparation for democratic participation in a diverse society because it does not challenge the “underlying liberal architecture” that shapes both the practice and scholarship of college diversity. I make the case for emphasizing a participatory culture that favors multiple and intersectional identities over fixed identities, public work over understanding, and participatory democracy over pluralist democracy. The challenge for colleges and universities in the coming years is to design curriculum and pedagogy that emphasizes diversity as a fluid, adaptable and emerging phenomenon while simultaneously grounding it within fixed ethnic and cultural identities
Making the Move from Shouting to Listening to Public Action: A Student Perspective on Millennials and Dialogue
No full textThis essay provides an overview of what one senior student at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, found while researching the power of conversation to foster civic engagement among her peers. The essay is divided into three sections. First, research on the Millennials is summarized to provide an overview of this generation’s characteristics. Second, the methodology and findings of the applied portions of the student’s senior thesis, referred to as Conversations for Change, are outlined. The third portion, the essay’s conclusion, calls for the increased presence of the student voice in our colleges and universities so as to empower the Millennials’ potential to participate in democracy
Dialogue on Campus: An Overview of Promising Practices
No full textHigher education institutions are recognizing the value of dialogue in engaging diverse perspectives and experiences while providing the necessary skills and knowledge for students to become effective citizens. Colleges and universities are incorporating the theory and practice of dialogue across different dimensions of the curriculum, co-curriculum, pedagogy, and administration and governance. Examples include nation-wide intergroup dialogue programs, community standards processes in residence halls, and institution-wide decision making on curricula. Seen as a whole, these and other examples provide a vision for a comprehensive approach to integrating dialogue on campuses
Communication Studies and Deliberative Democracy: Current Contributions and Future Possibilities
No full textThis essay provides an overview of what is currently being done in the discipline of communication studies that can advance deliberative democracy, particularly in terms of student learning, and explores how those connections could be strengthened and extended. The essay is divided into three main sections. First, a brief history of the field of communication studies is provided. Next, four questions relevant to deliberative theory and practice are introduced and the teaching and research of communication scholars that provides significant responses are examined: (1) how do we improve how citizens process information and exercise judgment?, (2) how do we best deal the differences in our increasingly diverse communities?, (3) how can we better understand the processes and outcomes of deliberation?, and (4) what are the key future directions for deliberative theory and practice? Within this section, a number of the sub-fields within communication studies that connect directly or indirectly to deliberative work are introduced. The essay concludes with a review of the limitations to these connections and a “call to action” for increased public engagement
Why It Is Imperative To Strengthen American Democracy Through Study, Dialogue and Change In Higher Education
No full textIn July 2007, about 40 people – faculty from across disciplines, campus leaders, and civic leaders – gathered for several days at the University of New Hampshire to discuss the role of higher education in American democracy. While we gathered out of concern for the way our democracy seemed to be working, we were also encouraged by promising experiments in democratic dialogue, deliberative politics, and public problem solving, efforts that seem strategic and designed with a strong democracy in mind. Many of the academics in the group were already experimenting with approaches to civic learning, political engagement, democratic dialogue, and programs in leadership or conflict resolution, but in many cases, they didn’t know about each other or even the networks of individuals doing similar work. We agreed to form The Democracy Imperative, a network of educators and who would work together to strengthen democracy in and through higher education.
One of our first priorities was to publish a paper framing the nature of the problem and our vision for higher education as a vibrant partner in democratic renewal work. We published that paper in late 2007, but this is a fast-moving field. This 2010 version is an updated version of the Democracy Imperative\u27s original framing paper