Deliberation, legitimacy, and multilateral democracy
By: KING, Loren A
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ArticlePublisher: Malden : Wiley-Blackwell, Janaury 2003Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions 16, 1, p. 23-50Abstract: Is deliberation essential to legitimate democratic governance? Deliberation may have epistemic value, improving the quality of information and arguments. Deliberation may be transformative, shaping beliefs and opinions. Or deliberation may be part of a conception of justice that constrains authority, by requiring that procedures be justified in terms of reasons acceptable to those burdened by authoritative decisions. Although appealing, the epistemic and transformative arguments are limited by the scale and complexity of many problems for which democratic solutions are sought. But the reasongiving argument is persuasive whenever collective decisions allow burdens to be imposed on others.
Is deliberation essential to legitimate democratic governance? Deliberation may have epistemic value, improving the quality of information and arguments. Deliberation may be transformative, shaping beliefs and opinions. Or deliberation may be part of a conception of justice that constrains authority, by requiring that procedures be justified in terms of reasons acceptable to those burdened by authoritative decisions. Although appealing, the epistemic and transformative arguments are limited by the scale and complexity of many problems for which democratic solutions are sought. But the reasongiving argument is persuasive whenever collective decisions allow burdens to be imposed on others.
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