People bridge differences or develop a respectful understanding of them, says Matthew Taylor of the RSA
RADICAL change is needed to overcome the crisis in liberal democracy. The needs range from the constitution to the machinery of government. However, one reform can act as a “gateway” to others: deliberative democracy.
There are various models of deliberation, but they are all based on the principle of representative samples of ordinary citizens using structured processes of exploration and debate through which they get to hear and discuss a full range of opinions on a given subject. Deliberative processes, which generally last two or three days, have been successfully employed on a range of local, national and international issues, from energy policy in Texas to public spending priorities in Ulaanbaatar.
A deliberative process helped to frame and structure last year’s Irish constitutional referendum leading to abortion-law reform. What could have been a highly divisive process was one which not only reached a clear conclusion but, remarkably, seemed to bring the country together. Britain may be lagging, but elsewhere deliberative democracy is becoming more commonplace. Just last month in Belgium, the regional government in Ostbelgien voted unanimously to form a permanent citizens’ council. Alongside it will be as many as three-yearly citizens’ assemblies, with members selected by random sortation.
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