Deliberation in Decision-Making

Deliberation refers to long and careful thinking or discussion to consider an issue or decision. Deliberation can be done by an individual, or by a group of people engaging in a structured dialogue process.

Deliberative democracy is a political theory that emphasizes the importance of informed discussion in the decision-making processes of democratic societies. While elected officials engage in deliberation, deliberative democracy often refers specifically to forms of decision-making that involve careful deliberation among members of the public. Deliberative democracy suggests that through dialogue, participants can better understand diverse perspectives, critically evaluate arguments, and reach consensus or a reasonable compromise.

Policy issues or decisions which are particularly divisive, contentious or controversial can be especially well-suited to public deliberation because participants are likely to hold a diversity of opinions on the topic and through the process will develop better understanding of the issue, the opinions that differ from their own, and the trade-offs and impacts of a decision. While total consensus may not emerge, the final recommendations are more likely to reflect a position that is acceptable to a greater number of people.

Public deliberation can come in many forms, however an increasingly popular model is that of a “deliberative mini-public” which is characterized by:

• Assembling a group of participants that proportionally reflect the demographics of the larger population (creating a “mini” version of the general public)
• Offering everyone an equal chance of participating by randomly-selecting participants through a two-step “lottery” system (also known as “sortition” or a “civic lottery”)
• Providing participants with opportunities to learn about the topic through evidence-based information that reflects diverse perspectives
• Engaging participants in at least one full day of facilitated deliberation leading to the development of a rough agreement or “consensus” on a decision or set of recommendations

The OECD has mapped over 700 examples of deliberative mini-publics across the world, and grouped them into 12 standard models depending on their purpose, number of participants, and length. Common examples include Citizens’ Assemblies, Juries, Panels or Dialogues.