Abstract

In the real world there are several experiences that display some similarities with the ideal situation depicted by the theory of deliberative democracy. In such experiences a public problem is tackled through the participation of all affected interests and the interactions among the participants are carried out through deliberation, rather than through preference aggregation or bargaining. A list of cases is presented that share a common feature: an ad hoc arena or a forum is built in which participants interact face-to-face. The paper discusses how the principles of inclusion and deliberation are approximated in such experiences and shows that their diffusion, while subjected to several constraints, reveals a gap between the dominant idea of majority democracy and the practical need for consensus building on specific issues.