Synopses & Reviews
An empirical study of deliberative politics based on parliamentary debates using a discourse quality index measurement instrument.
Review
"Deliberative democracy is no longer a topic for political theorists only. [The authors] offer 'a helping hand' (p. 42) to the theorists by empirically investigating real-world deliberations...Deliberative Politics in Action contributes some important insights into the institutional conditions of deliberation." -Political Science Quarterly, Christian f. Rostboll, Arizona State University
Synopsis
This book offers an empirical study of deliberative politics, a topic of discussion which, until recently, took place almost exclusively among political philosophers. Based on parliamentary debates in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, the authors analyse the role of conversation, argument and negotiation in democratic government.
Synopsis
This study of deliberative politics provides the first extended empirical analysis of the role of conversation and arguments in politics. Examining parliamentary debates in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, the authors measure the preconditions and consequences of high level deliberation.
Synopsis
This book provides the first extended empirical study of the role of conversation and arguments in politics, addressing in particular questions of the preconditions and consequences of high level deliberation. Using parliamentary debates in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States as an empirical base, the authors measure the level of deliberation by constructing a 'Discourse Quality Index'. As deliberative politics moves to the forefront of political theory, this book makes an important contribution to deliberative democracy.
Synopsis
The first empirical study of the role of conversation and arguments in politics, based on analysis of parliamentary debates.
About the Author
Jürg Steiner is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the University of Bern. He is also Swiss Chair at the European University Institute in Florence.AndréBächtiger is Swiss Chair Fellow at the European University Institute, Florence.Markus Spörndli is at the University of Bern, Switzerland.Marcus R. Steenbergen is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Table of Contents
Introduction: the research questions; 1. Institutions and behavior: the example of consociational theory; 2. The philosophical literature on deliberative politics; 3. Measuring deliberation: a Discourse Quality Index; 4. Understanding the real world of deliberation: hypotheses about antecedents and consequences; 5. The institutional antecedents of discourse; 6. Discourse and its consequences; Conclusion and research outlook; Appendix: Discourse Quality Index (DQI).