Public Deliberation: A different pathway to Democracy

By Doug Garnar –

In the Preamble to the Constitution, one goal is to “create a more perfect union.” Three generations later Abraham Lincoln in his now famous Gettysburg Address spoke of a nation “…under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”  Over 150 years later Americans seem bitterly divided – red and blue states.  Social media has opened up opportunities for transmitting vile political invective on an unprecedented level. Government at the Federal level seems capable of doing very little, with each party claiming the other seeks to promote gridlock.  Scores of books written by reputable scholars speak of the death of democracy, the end of democracy.  In 2016, the Economist Internal downgraded America from a full democracy to a flawed democracy. Perhaps best capturing America these days might be a truck going down the road flying both an American Flag and a Confederate Flag.

Yet most Americans desire to live in safe and secure neighborhoods, with reasonable jobs to meet basic needs, good school systems that will offer their children increased possibilities upon graduation and finally clean air/water/soil (the basis of all life).

The non-partisan National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI.org) and Kettering Foundation (Kettering.org) have worked since the late 1970s to promote a more constructive type of civic conversation called “Public Deliberation”.  The underlying principal is to name and frame a public policy issue, not as a debate, but rather as a conversation in which at least three-five ways of looking at a problem are examined in small groups of 15-20 with a moderator.  A note taker captures the main points each participant makes and at the closure of the deliberation the moderator has the participants see where there is “common ground.”

NIFI has created dozens of deliberation issue pamphlets on a wide range of public policy issues.  Recent pamphlets have dealt with immigration, climate choices, the opioid epidemic, safety/gun violence concerns, Federal budget priorities, mental illness, bullying, and energy choices. Communities can also develop their own public deliberation issue pamphlets.

On its best days public deliberation can help to “drain the civic swamp” and replace it with a new “civic wetlands of democracy.”  Consider joining the movement to promote public deliberation as a way of revitalizing our democracy.

Anyone interested in learning more about public deliberation or in learning how to name and frame an issue can contact Doug Garnar (garnardc@sunybroome.edu). 

To learn about upcoming “Common Ground” deliberations just go to NIFI.org. They also host an “on-line version of public deliberation called “Common Ground.” 

Watch for additional Public Deliberation articles in future issues of Owl Light News.