The most widely debated conception of democracy in recent years is
deliberative democracy--the idea that citizens or their representatives
owe each other mutually acceptable reasons for the laws they enact. Two
prominent voices in the ongoing discussion are Amy Gutmann and Dennis
Thompson. In Why Deliberative Democracy?, they move the debate forward
beyond their influential book, Democracy and Disagreement.
What exactly is deliberative democracy? Why is it more defensible than
its rivals? By offering clear answers to these timely questions, Gutmann
and Thompson illuminate the theory and practice of justifying public
policies in contemporary democracies. They not only develop their theory
of deliberative democracy in new directions but also apply it to new
practical problems. They discuss bioethics, health care, truth
commissions, educational policy, and decisions to declare war. In "What
Deliberative Democracy Means," which opens this collection of essays,
they provide the most accessible exposition of deliberative democracy to
date. They show how deliberative democracy should play an important role
even in the debates about military intervention abroad.
Why Deliberative Democracy? contributes to our understanding of how
democratic citizens and their representatives can make justifiable
decisions for their society in the face of the fundamental disagreements
that are inevitable in diverse societies. Gutmann and Thompson provide a
balanced and fair-minded approach that will benefit anyone intent on
giving reason and reciprocity a more prominent place in politics than
power and special interests.
