ABSTRACT
In his seminal 1964 article, Philip Converse described deformations of information, ideology, and attitudes that pose challenges to both democratic theory and practice. After considering the problems that these interrelated limitations pose for standard democratic practices, I will try to imagine what mass opinion would be like if an alternative strategy of public consultation managed, in effect, to overcome the three difficulties that Converse pointed out. This will require outlining a research program that goes beyond polling to investigate the effects of deliberation on survey results.
