Deliberative Democracy
Democratic legitimacy depends on an inclusive exchange of reasons as well as voting.
What it claims
Deliberative democracy does not explain legitimate collective decisions solely by adding up votes. Those affected should have opportunities to exchange reasons that others can reasonably consider. Habermas formulates validity through possible agreement among participants in rational discourse; Cohen’s ideal deliberative procedure and Gutmann and Thompson’s reciprocity principle develop related approaches.
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Key thinkers
Jürgen Habermas · Joshua Cohen · Amy Gutmann · Dennis Thompson · Bernard Manin · James S. Fishkin