Democracy, peace, & deliberation

Above all, Sloman seems to be arguing for thinking through the practical implications of one’s beliefs.

Most issues can be framed in terms of the consequences they produce. Rather than asking whether it is right or wrong to, say, allow people to carry concealed weapons, we can ask what the consequences of such a policy would be. And asserting a cons... See more

Everyone gave me a version of the same answer: Taiwan’s democracy is less than 40 years old. Martial law is still in living memory, and no one wants to return. So Taiwanese people don’t take elections and participation for granted; as cyber ambassador Audrey Tang put it, Taiwan views its government not as a “fossilized” institution, but as malleabl... See more

Fuller blames this thinning on two factors. First, extreme partnership has led to “an intense focus” on specific political outcomes, rather than developing better democratic processes. Second, large private foundations and governments are putting money into their own agendas, rather than tools to empower everyday citizens.

However, most of these experiments have been failures. The trouble is that most of these platforms cannot keep the attention of the people who are supposed to use them. Too few of the platforms are designed to make online engagement compelling. So, figuring out how to make online engagement in government fun is actually a serious question for gover... See more

Ultimately, the essential work of creating systems that genuinely work for everyone requires us to redistribute resources and grant power to those who have been denied it—something that deliberation can help to achieve alongside other political organizing. Deliberation alone will not create a more equal society, and the outcomes of such processes a... See more