Deliberation Day

by Bruce Ackerman, James S. Fishkin

Bruce Ackerman and James Fishkin argue that Americans can
revitalize their democracy and break the cycle of cynical media
manipulation that is crippling public life. They propose a new
national holiday—Deliberation Day—for each presidential election
year. On this day people throughout the country will meet in public
spaces and engage in structured debates about issues that divide the
candidates in the upcoming presidential election. Deliberation Day is
a bold new proposal, but it builds on a host of smaller
experiments. Over the past decade, Fishkin has initiated Deliberative
Polling events in the United States and elsewhere that bring random
and representative samples of voters together for discussion of key
political issues. In these events, participants greatly increase their
understanding of the issues and often change their minds on the best
course of action. Deliberation Day is not merely a novel idea but a
feasible reform. Ackerman and Fishkin consider the economic,
organizational, and political questions raised by their proposal and
explore its relationship to the larger ideals of liberal democracy.

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004