Kara Dillard and Kettering Foundation associate Nick Felts make the case in the latest edition of the National Civic Review that EVE offers a better way for people to deliberate online:
CGA participants surface tensions between core values and evaluate difficult trade-offs, two markers of robust deliberation. They also find evidence of attitudinal effects or the creation of what Hannah Arendt or Immanuel Kant would call an “enlarged mentality.” Moreover, they find that CGA participants often leave forums with a greater understanding of the issue at hand and a greater appreciation for the views of those they disagree with. Further, participants overwhelmingly note that the sessions are positive, helpful to democracy, and something that elected officials ought to take note of. Lastly, CGA forums have attracted a diverse group of participants. At the same time, the online nature and design features of CGA seem to erase some of the inequalities that often plague in-person discussion, although some inequities still remain.
Read more from “Common Ground for Action: Experimenting with Better Ways to Deliberate Online” from the National Civic Review’s winter 2022 edition.
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