James S. Fishkin
Departments of Communication and Political Science and
Director, Center for Deliberative Democracy
Stanford University

"Who Speaks for the People? -- Deliberative Democracy and Competing Conceptions of Public Opinion"

Abstract:
This paper explores competing conceptions of public opinion and the variety of democratic mechanisms that can be used to consult them. The argument ranges over referenda, focus groups, self-selected fora, public opinion polls, deliberative polls and the role of elected representatives. The focus is on how certain fundamental democratic values such as political equality and deliberation can be realized in the modern large scale nation state.

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