Deliberative Democracy in Practice

Deliberative democracy has emerged as a dominant research paradigm in normative political philosophy. Deliberative democrats want politics to be more than a clash of contending interests, and they believe political decisions should emerge from reasoned dialogue among citizens. But can these ideals be realized in complex and unjust societies?

Deliberative Democracy in Practice brings together leading scholars who explore debates in deliberative democratic theory through the lens of four areas of practice: education, constitutions and state boundaries, indigenous-settler relations, and citizen participation and public consultation. For instance, can the desire to rear deliberative citizens be reconciled with the freedom of parents to raise their children in their own belief systems? Do those who live outside the borders of a democracy deserve a say in decisions that affect them? What challenges do indigenous peoples, who have been the subject of historical injustice, pose to theories of deliberative democracy? To what extent do real-world designs for citizen participation and consultation live up to the norms of deliberative democracy?

This dynamic volume casts new light on the strengths and limitations of deliberative democratic theory, offering guidance to policy makers and to students and scholars interested in democratic justice.