A 35-year experiment in public deliberations shows that democracy depends on a process of constant learning

Deliberative democracy has long been an aspiration for campaigners and academics who see it as a way of harnessing humanity’s inherent capacity for reason and debate. But, while compelling in theory, there is a relative paucity of practical evidence as to its success. Here, the former United States Health, Education and Welfare David Matthews shares evidence from a 35 year experiment in the form of National issues Forums, evidence which he argues shows that public deliberation depends on a process of constant learning, and that deliberation itself is a form of learning.