Filozofska istraživanja, Vol. 45 No. 1, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21464/fi45106
Mini-Publics as a Factor in Improving the Moral and Epistemic Qualities of Democratic Procedures
Ivan Cerovac
orcid.org/0000-0003-3416-5295
; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Filozofski fakultet, Sveučilišna avenija 4, HR–51000 Rijeka / Sveučilište u Ljubljani, Teološki fakultet, Poljanska cesta 4, SL–1000 Ljubljana
Abstract
As recent political developments pose new challenges to the sustainability of conventional democratic practices, experts are increasingly focusing on exploring the potential of various democratic innovations. The aim of this paper is not only to introduce the concept of mini-publics but also to provide a reasoned analysis of the benefits these democratic innovations offer in enhancing the moral and epistemic qualities of democratic decision-making processes. The first part of the paper analyses the causes of the crisis in traditional representative democracy, while also setting criteria for assessing the quality of democratic processes. The second part explores the key mechanisms that characterize mini-publics and examines how these mechanisms potentially address some of the flaws of traditional democracy. The third part focuses on different forms of mini-publics, analysing the advantages and disadvantages of some of them. Through this structure, the paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the role of mini-publics in contemporary democratic society.
Keywords
democratic innovations; deliberative democracy; participatory decision-making; political legitimacy; citizens’ assemblies; citizens’ councils; James Fishkin
Hrčak ID:
332752
URI
Publication date:
27.6.2025.
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