What is deliberation?

Deliberation is the practice of thoughtfully weighing different options before making a decision. In civic engagement, deliberation refers to convening a small group of citizens to learn about an issue, discuss the issue in depth, and collaborate to create recommendations for action or policy. Deliberation often gives “everyday” citizens, rather than policymakers or experts, the chance to create solutions to big challenges.

Deliberation is different from debate. Debates typically present an issue as only having two clear sides. In deliberation, participants are expected to have an open mind, engage multiple perspectives, collaborate with others, and find common ground and solutions. This does not necessarily mean everyone will fully agree with the Jury outcome, but participants agree to do their best to cooperate with others and work towards a recommendation or solution to a problem that everyone can live with.

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Blog: Making participation more deliberative, and deliberation more participatory