Deliberative Democracy: Essays on Reason and PoliticsIn this book the editors Bohman and Rehg collect a range of essays looking at ways to improve public deliberation among citizens. The belief among those who support the idea of deliberative democracy is that well-informed citizens make better decisions. And a well-informed citizenry is created by debate, analysis, and presentations of evidence and argument. On the surface this seems simple enough. These authors look at what democratic societies should do when the topic isn't simple. How do democratic communities resolve highly contentious issues? Is majority rule always for the best? How do you separate fact from fiction in a debate?
This is an excellent introduction to deliberative democracy, and is valuable whether you want to apply these concepts to a small community or to an entire nation.
Why this is progressive/liberal: In our democratic-republic form of government progressives tend to the democractic side of the spectrum. However, one of the weaknesses of a democracy is when an uninformed electorate is making the decisions. This is why public education is such an important issues for liberals and progressives. It's also why progressives work to find better ways to implement democratic ideas in their communities.
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