Connecting deliberative mini-publics to representative decision making

Abstract

<p>Despite some prominent critics, deliberative democrats tend to be optimistic about the potential<br />of deliberative mini-publics. However, the problem with current practices is that mini-publics are typically<br />used by officials on an ad hoc basis and that their policy impacts remain vague. Mini-publics seem<br />especially hard to integrate into representative decision making. There are a number of reasons for<br />this, especially prevailing ideas of representation and accountability as well as the contestatory character<br />of representative politics. This article argues that deliberative mini-publics should be regarded as one<br />possible way of improving the epistemic quality of representative decision making and explores different<br />institutional designs through which deliberative mini-publics could be better integrated into representative<br />institutions. The article considers arrangements which institutionalise the use of mini-publics; involve<br />representatives in deliberations; motivate public interactions between mini-publics and representatives;<br />and provide opportunities to ex post scrutiny or suspensive veto powers for mini-publics. The article<br />analyses prospects and problems of these measures, and considers their applicability in different contexts of<br />representative politics.<br /></p>