Democracy and Deliberation: New Directions for Democratic Reform

By James S. Fishkin

Book Overview

This text proposes a new kind of democracy for the modern era, one that not only gives citizens more power but also allows them more opportunities to exercise this power thoughtfully. James S. Fishkin here suggests a solution to the problem of inadequate deliberation, in particular within the presidential nomination system. His reform involves a well-publicized national caucus in which a representative sample of American citizens would interact directly with presidential contenders in order to reflect and vote on the issues and candidates.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300051611
• ISBN13: 9780300051612
• Release Date: December 1991
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 0.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Read this book for its critique, not the proposal.

This slim book is better than the synopsis given above suggests. While the proposal referenced in the synopsis is, granted, part of the book, the critique of majoritarian-direct democracy is what's worth chewing on here. Fishkin is not impressed by the power of the vote when voters haven't THOUGHT WITH ONE ANOTHER about the power they are exercising. This is the "deliberation" in his title. Ballot initiatives, electronic voting, voting "from the convenience of your recliner with the click of a button," opinion polling, etc. all tend toward thoughtless spewage (think of the Jerry Springer Show) without deliberation. This is a problem worth working on, and he takes one crack at it with his proposal.