Deliberative Democracy Video Lessons

Deliberative Polling

Polling

Polling has evolved from George Gallup’s election predictions in the 1930s to widespread media use today. Critics question its reliability due to issues like phantom opinions and uninformed responses. Deliberative polling addresses these challenges by fostering informed discussions to improve data quality and engagement.

Critics of Deliberation

Critics argue that societal inequalities make balanced discussions in deliberative processes difficult. They believe privileged individuals often dominate due to better articulation and persuasion skills. These critiques question the fairness and effectiveness of deliberative methods in addressing societal issues.

Debunking Myths

Research from the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab counters the common criticisms about Deliberation.

1. Gender does not affect participation levels in discussions.
2. Privileged groups do not consistently influence outcomes more than others.
3. Quantity of speech did not correlate with influence in a group, debunking the idea that more talk leads to greater impact. 

Deliberation Across Divides

A deliberation project in Omagh, Northern Ireland addressed school integration for Catholic and Protestant children. The city is known for historical sectarian violence. Declining student numbers and an excess of operational schools created pressure for school consolidations.

The project encouraged dialogue between the divided groups. Participants gained mutual understanding and respect. The deliberation led to a surprising consensus on merging schools. This decision marked a significant step towards communal integration. The success highlights how deliberation can bridge societal divides and enable impactful decisions under challenging conditions.

Deliberative Polling: The Future

The challenge of ensuring quality moderation across multiple groups led the Stanford Deliberation Lab to develop an automated platform for deliberative discussions. This platform replicates a human moderator, allowing for simultaneous deliberation among potentially billions of people. This innovation aims to democratize access to high-quality deliberative experiences, fostering critical thinking and informed opinion-forming on a mass scale.