Democracy When The People Are Thinking: Revitalizing Our Politics Through Public Deliberation

FEATURING JAMES FISHKIN – American politics are in trouble. As a nation we are polarized. We question the truth and vulnerable to propaganda. We are expected to follow the national discourse on a variety of topics and then show up every couple of years to cast a vote. And this supposedly is how a democracy functions.

But what if there was a better way for us to participate in our democracy? What if instead of vilifying or deifying politicians, we take charge through reasoned debate and deliberation?

James S. Fishkin, the Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication at Stanford University where he teaches Communication and Political Science and also directs The Center for Deliberative Democracy. He is the author of Democracy and Deliberation; and When the People Speak: Deliberative Democracy and Public Consultation. His new book is called Democracy When People Are Thinking: Revitalizing Our Politics Through Public Deliberation.