ABSTRACT
In the past three decades researchers have explored how deliberative processes can increase citizen participation in decision-making. The concern is not simply to reverse the decline in traditional modes of participation such as voting, but to also improve the quality and impact of democratic interactions by conducting them in novel ways and in new social spaces. Large-scale citizen deliberations have evolved to address increasingly complex issues, many of which cross national boundaries (Andersson et al, 2010). This chapter examines the origins, characteristics and future implications of five large-scale and cross-national deliberative events: Meeting of Minds (2006), European Citizens’ Panels (2006–2007), Deliberative Poll® on the future of Europe (2007), European Citizens’ Consultation I (2007) and II (2009) and WWViews (2009). Taken together, these cases reveal a growing body of cross-national deliberative practices that have the potential to foster truly global debates on some of the most urgent issues facing society today.
