Concept
A deliberative opinion poll, sometimes called a deliberative poll, is a form of opinion poll taken before and after significant deliberation. Professor James S. Fishkin of Stanford University first described the concept in 1988. The typical deliberative opinion poll takes a random, representative sample of citizens and engages them in deliberation on current issues or proposed policy changes through small-group discussions and conversations with competing experts to create more informed and reflective public opinion. In 2021, Fishkin suggested deliberative polls could be run virtually to reduce costs. Deliberative polls have been run around the world, including in the United States and China. The Deliberative Democracy Lab at Stanford University described its process as: A random, representative sample is first polled on the issue(s) Members of the sample are invited to gather in order to discuss the issue(s) Carefully balanced briefing materials are sent to the participants and are also made publicly available (along with other aspects of the deliberations). The participants talk to competing experts and political leaders, asking questions they develop in small group discussions with trained moderators. The sample is again polled on the original questions. The resulting changes in opinion represent the conclusions the public would likely reach, if they had opportunity to participate in the deliberative process. Fishkin argues that during deliberation, discussions should strive for political equality, where everyone's voice is given equal consideration. This can be achieved through discussions that: are backed by reasonably truthful claims, give space for arguments both for and against the proposal, remain polite and listen to others, focus on the merit of the arguments, and cover a diverse array of perspectives from substantial portions of the population. Logistically, deliberative opinion polls are very similar to other deliberative gatherings like citizens' assemblies.