Activism, Inclusion, and the Challenges of Deliberative Democracy

Deliberative democracy – whereby people debate competing ideas before agreeing upon political action – must surely rest on its capacity to include all points of view. But how does this inclusive framework engage with activism that occurs outside of, and in opposition to, deliberative systems themselves?

Activism, Inclusion, and the Challenges of Deliberative Democracy challenges the inherent contradiction of a framework that includes activism but doesn’t require sustained exchange with activists, instead measuring the value of their efforts in terms of broader deliberative democratic outcomes. Through the examples of ACT UP, Black Lives Matter, and other contemporary activism, Anna Drake explores the systemic oppression that prevents activists from participating in deliberative systems as equals. Pointing to the failure of deliberative democracy to confront oppression, she develops an alternative theory of activism-as-deliberation that recognizes the normative importance of activism, making a key distinction between contributing to and deliberating with.

When systemic inequalities affect people’s perceptions of political legitimacy, activism cannot be meaningfully integrated. This nuanced study concludes that deliberative democrats must address activism on its own terms, external to and separate from deliberative systems that are shaped by injustices. Only then can activism’s distinct democratic contribution be taken seriously.