Deliberative Democracy between Theory and Practice

Reviews / Votes

'This rich and important project seeks to offer an account of deliberative democracy that can stand up to political psychological accounts of citizen learning and preference formation, as well as to formal theoretic critiques of preference aggregation. Neblo engages a dialogue between normative theory and empirical social science, providing his readers with a thorough instruction in those literatures so that they can do the same. This creative, insightful text is a breakthrough for theorizing representative democracy.' Lisa Disch, University of Michigan 'Between the deliberative democratic ideal and the cesspool of status quo politics lies an alternative reality that both deliberative theorists and political activists could accept as valid. Michael A. Neblo's book has visited this place more than once, both in the lab and in the field, and anyone wishing to help take us there must read this book. It provides a roadmap to a more rational and respectful mode of politics.' John Gastil, Director, McCourtney Institute for Democracy, Pennsylvania State University, and author of The Jury and Democracy and Political Communication and Deliberation 'Michael A. Neblo has written an exemplary book, exhibiting equal measures of philosophical sophistication, methodological rigor, and substantive import. What is more, Deliberative Democracy between Theory and Practice is revelatory, showing the author as a decent, humane thinker. Readers will not just learn from Neblo; I think they will be touched as well.' James Johnson, University of Rochester, New York 'A beautiful introduction to deliberative democracy and a must-read for scholars in the field. Clearly and engagingly written, based on deep theoretical understanding and a set of brilliant experiments, this book clears up a host of misunderstandings about what deliberative democracy is and what it can do for us.' Jane Mansbridge, Charles F. Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Values, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Massachusetts 'For citizens, students, and scholars who care about deliberation and democracy in theory and practice, Michael A. Neblo's work is essential reading ... Deliberative Democracy between Theory and Practice points the way forward to more productive interaction between deliberative theorists and empirical social scientists, helping both sides to avoid talking past each other and opening up promising avenues for evaluating the deliberative system. Neblo's work is both clear-eyed and deeply empathetic: he confronts squarely the limitations and vexing challenges of citizenship in modern mass democracy, while still retaining a capacious sense of care and respect for the ordinary women and men whose views and conversations are at the heart of the deliberative system. [The book] thus holds up a vision of deliberative democratic citizenship that is at once empirically grounded and theoretically rich.' Christopher Karpowitz, Co-Director, Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, Brigham Young University, Utah, and author of Deliberation, Democracy, and Civic Forums