Synopses & Reviews
Deliberative Democracy provides us with a stronger model of democracy itself and a tonic for the tone of contemporary political discourse. Approaching Deliberative Democracy, edited by Carnegie Mellon Professor Robert Cavalier, demonstrates how this model can be grounded in empirically based theory and theory-based practice. It is recommended for practitioners and scholars as well as those in the general public who wish to gain a deeper understanding of this important political movement.
Synopsis
For a decade, Robert Cavalier has been working creatively to translate deliberative democratic theory into real-world practices, both face-to-face and online, that are designed to deepen the average citizen's experience of democratic engagement. Approaching Deliberative Democracy is a splendid introduction to both sides of that work. It situates the turn towards deliberative democracy historically, philosophically, and in political theory. But it also lays out the stakes in terms of what deliberative democracy can accomplish "on the ground" for both citizens and institutions. The essays he has brought together offer a rich discussion that will be of enormous value to both students and practitioners of democratic reform.
Peter Shane, Jacob E. Davis and Jacob E. Davis II Chair in Law, Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University This illuminating volume presents deliberative democracy from all sides, from its normative foundations to its instantiation in local school politics. We learn when it works, when it doesn't, and why. The essays are founded in extensive practice, thoughtful field study, and first-rate scholarship. Cavalier has corralled an insightful group of authors who have a great deal to say about issues that matter greatly.
Thomas Pogge, Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs, Yale University This volume makes a significant contribution to the growing and important literature on how deliberative democracy can realize its potential. It is empirically rich, theoretically informed, and pragmatically oriented--a good resource for theorists and practitioners.
Michael Goodhart Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh. Robert Cavalier provides the reader with an unusually accessible but still comprehensive introduction to and critical evaluation of the philosophical and political theories central to deliberative democracy. The collection of essays offers empirical examples and analyses that give us fine-grained details as to what deliberative democracy might look like in praxis: these provide important new insights that will help refine and improve underlying theories. All of this, finally, is informed by watershed contributions to the rapidly expanding literature on democracy online, and will serve as an essential reference and source for further work.
Charles Ess, Department of Information and Media Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Synopsis
Approaching Deliberative Democracy: Theory and Practice
About the Author
Robert Cavalier is editor of The Impact of the Internet on Our Moral Lives (SUNY, 2005) and author of Democracy for Beginners (For Beginners LLC, 2009). He is a member of Carnegie Mellon's Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics and Political Philosophy and, with Gregory Crowley, Co-Director of the Program for Deliberative Democracy, which won a 2008 Good Government Award from the Pittsburgh League of Women Voters.