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Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Hierarchical Organizations?

Abstract

Some measure of equality is necessary for deliberative democracy to work well, yet empirical scholarship consistently points to the deleterious effect that hierarchy and inequalities of epistemological authority have on deliberation. This article tests whether real-world deliberative forums can overcome these challenges. Contrary to skeptics, it concludes that the act of deliberation itself and the presence of trained moderators ameliorate inequalities of epistemological authority, thus rendering deliberative democracy possible, even within hierarchical organizations.

Keywords

National Issues Forums, epistemological equality, hierarchy, deliberative democracy

How to Cite

Pierce J. & Neeley G. & Budziak J., (2007) “Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Hierarchical Organizations?”, Journal of Public Deliberation 4(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.16997/jdd.67

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Authors

Jason L. Pierce (University of Dayton)
Grant Neeley (University of Dayton)
Jeffrey Budziak (Ohio State University)

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

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This article has been peer reviewed.

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