Episode 6 Democratic Theory and the British Columbia Citizens' Assembly with Mark Warren

Facilitating Public Deliberations

Mark Warren is a political scientist based in North America whose original interest in democracy theory broadened to encompass deliberative democracy when he studied the British Columbia Citizens’ Assembly in 2004.

Mark’s analysis of that case study and all that followed has been extremely influential in the field.

In this conversation, Mark wonders aloud about the resistance to using deliberative methods on the part of politicians even though bureaucrats are increasingly seeing their advantages, i.e. to help them do their job better.

He cautions deliberative designers to pay close attention to a clear remit and other design options and advises them against convening a mini-public if the design is flawed.

Mark is interested in the way that public deliberations can help to overcome the current ‘democratic malaise’. He believes that these methods can help citizens to own their democracy and enable them to work together constructively despite their differences.

newDemocracy Foundation R&D Note on Framing the Remit

Music acknowledgement.