Janina Walkenhorst, Fabian Schuppert
This paper contributes to the debate on the normative value(s) of deliberative mini publics (DMPs) in climate policy-making. We discuss different conceptions of the objectives of DMPs, such as increasing democratic legitimacy, effectiveness, and social acceptance. Following, we critically assess the plausibility of each conception and argue why meaningful and independent participation is crucial for increasing democratic legitimacy.
Deliberative mini publics can achieve a lot for climate protection, but not everything at once. Their key normative added value lies in ensuring the legitimacy of political decisions. For this to succeed, the formats must be a) independent, b) with an open outcome and c) with binding involvement of decision-makers in the findings. At the same time, a more pluralistic understanding of effectiveness is required that takes greater account of socio-political perspectives. However, the urgency to take action in climate policy can create tensions with the goal of increasing democratic legitimacy of political processes.
Furthermore, the focus on mini-publics to promote democratic legitimacy should not be limited to climate policy decisions, but should also be applied more widely in other policy areas. It is important that neither effectiveness nor social acceptance are seen as the sole objectives of these formats, as this could jeopardize central democratic principles since many deliberative formats have relatively few participants and do not represent all parts of society. In times of increasing populism and dwindling trust in democratic institutions, deliberative mini-publics must be designed in such a way that they enable both meaningful and open-ended participation and at the same time counteract populist instrumentalization. After all, the demand for democratic legitimization through good citizen participation is universal and not exclusively a concern of climate policy.
The work is funded by the University of Potsdam. The project is affiliated with the Climate Change Center Berlin-Brandenburg.
