Vermont is blessed with an annual exercise in the habits of deliberation. Every March, cities and towns provide a structured space where disagreements can be aired and where advocates can use their persuasive powers to move the assembly. Due to the pandemic, many cities and towns are forgoing Town Meeting in favor of voting by Australian ballot. What do we lose when we can’t deliberate?
This presentation considers both the political theory and the cognitive science behind the habits of deliberation. Political theorists have always warned against making decisions when not all sides have been heard. Cognitive scientists have recently proved how echo chambers confound good decision-making. Both types of experts agree that the solution to our cognitive limitations is to require robust disagreements. We’ll consider how we can foster good clash within our organizations and with the general public.
This program was funded by the “Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation” initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.