Thinking through Democracy: Between the Theory and Practice of Deliberative Politics

Abstract

A full consideration of deliberative democracy depends upon analyzing both normative and empirical considerations. But is there a common language accessible to both the political philosopher and the empirical researcher, a language that can bridge the tension between the factual and the normative? Heretofore, much of the dialogue between the two has been plagued by methodological clashes and conceptual confusions. I outline a framework for better cooperation between the two lines of research.