The Effects of Sustained Deliberation Experience on Complexity of Thought about Citizenship and Communication About Politics

Christy Buchanan, Katy Harriger, Jill McMillan, Stephanie Gusler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Young adults who had participated in a college program in which they learned to deliberate were compared with a matched sample from the same college who did not participate. Interview and survey responses to questions about citizenship and communication about politics were analyzed. Ten years after their graduation, the students who learned to deliberate during college had more complex conceptions of citizenship and its responsibilities compared to their peers in the matched cohort. They also expressed more willingness to engage in political talk across differences. The study suggests that when emerging adults have extended experience deliberating about potentially divisive policy issues, they develop cognitive and communicative skills that can contribute to more effective and less polarized problem solving.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of Deliberative Democracy
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 23 2022

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