Why it exists
Ordinary polls capture top-of-the-head impressions. Stanford's James Fishkin designed deliberative polling to show what citizens would think after careful consideration.
Stages
- Survey a representative random sample.
- Invite a subset and give balanced briefing materials.
- Hold small-group discussions and expert Q&A.;
- Re-survey to measure opinion change.
The Shin Kori case
In 2017, 471 Korean citizens deliberated on the Shin Kori 5 and 6 reactors; 59.5% favored resuming construction, and the government accepted the result.
Value and limits
- Brings informed citizen judgment into policy.
- Costly, and debated over the fairness of materials, binding force and representativeness, as well as fit with elected officials and constitutional institutions.
References
- Fishkin, J. S. (1991). Democracy and Deliberation. Yale University Press.
- Fishkin, J. S. (2009). When the People Speak: Deliberative Democracy and Public Consultation. Oxford University Press.
- Luskin, R. C., Fishkin, J. S., & Jowell, R. (2002). Considered opinions: Deliberative polling in Britain. British Journal of Political Science, 32(3), 455-487.
- 신고리 5·6호기 공론화위원회 (2017). 『신고리 5·6호기 공론화 시민참여형조사 보고서』.