ABSTRACT
The deliberative account of democracy highlights the importance of public discussions prior to a vote. In an early and very infl uential article, Joshua Cohen gives the following characterization of deliberative democracy (1997a: 72):
[t]he notion of deliberative democracy is rooted in the intuitive ideal of a democratic association in which the justifi cation of the terms and conditions of association proceeds through public argument and reasoning among equal citizens. Citizens in such an order share a commitment to the resolution of problems of collective choice through public reasoning, and regard their basic institutions as legitimate in so far as they establish the framework for free public deliberation.
