A Trade-Off Analysis of the Normative Values of Deliberative Democracy

I assess the coherence of the normative model of deliberative democratic theory by examining the effectiveness of deliberative decision-making initiatives. To do so, I explore the relationship between the internal and external variables that affect them, and the goals that the processes try to achieve. I first identify the key normative values that characterize the deliberative democratic school of political theory, then the features of the initiatives in question – Adaptive Resource Management, Participatory Budgeting, and Citizen Assemblies. I then a) identify the variables that are most salient in determining the effectiveness of the initiatives, and b) the specific goals of deliberative decision-making initiatives, as well as the larger goals that they attempt to realize. I conclude that the set of goals cannot be reached as a package, as the realization of some is negatively related to those of others.