Innovative democratic institutions have been developed to engage citizens directly in deliberations about public policy. All around the globe ordinary people are being invited to contribute their considered views on complex policy issues to decision makers. The Politics of Public Deliberation explores how these novel approaches to citizen engagement work alongside the array of political institutions and practices that are not based on participatory and deliberative norms. In particular, it looks at how such approaches are received and accommodated by key political actors who are more accustomed to interest-based modes of political communication, such as pressure groups, corporations, associations and experts. It takes a critical look at the relationship between the ideals of public deliberation and the political world of interest advocacy, where partisanship, power, and interests abound. Drawing on the experiences of four citizen engagement projects, the book offers rare insights into the political world of public deliberation, and the reasons why partisan actors engage in or reject processes of citizen engagement.

Table of Contents

PART I: SETTING THE SCENE Public Deliberation in the Context of Interest Advocacy Worlds Apart or Connected? Interest Advocacy and Public Deliberation The Features and Principles of Citizens' Forums PART II: EMPIRICAL INSIGHTS CDL Case: Deliberation Waste GeneTech Case: Deliberation Digested Consumer Case: Deliberation Over-Protected Diagnostics Case: Deliberation Tested PART III: IMPLICATIONS The Challenges of Citizens' Forums Strategic Uses of Public Deliberation Accommodating Interest Advocacy in Public Deliberation References Index

About the Author

CAROLYN HENDRIKS is Senior Lecturer at the Crawford School of Government and Economics at the Australian National University. She has a background in both political science and environmental engineering, and has taught and published widely on the application and politics of inclusive and deliberative forms of citizen engagement.

Reviews

'In The Politics of Public Deliberation, Carolyn Hendriks uses her wealth of experience and insight to bridge the gap between citizen deliberation and special interest advocacy. Careful analysis of German and Australian cases leads her to call for 'strategic deliberators,' those advocates willing to provisionally follow deliberative norms in pursuit of strategic objectives. Some may view such an invitation as heretical to pure deliberation, but Hendriks has found a practical way to make deliberative forums more politically legitimate and consequential. That makes this book an essential read for anyone concerned with meaningful public engagement. ' - John Gastil, Professor and Head, Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, USA