ABSTRACT
It is a half-truth to say that democracy depends upon free speech. Rather, the participative practices of democratic life require open, equal, reasoned deliberation. Deliberation is more than just talk; it involves weighing approaches to problem solving in such a way that the viewpoints of all members of the community can be heard. Deliberation is a special form of speech structured according to democratic principles and designed to transform private prejudice into considered public opinion and to produce more legitimate solutions.
