Internal dynamics at work

Although CAs vary in design - for example they have a different purpose, composition length, and impact - they are similar in their endeavour to reach high quality deliberation. A plethora of research suggests that the internal quality of the CA (or any citizen deliberation) is crucial for the legitimacy of decision-making but also for how participants are included and affected. For a long time, research looked at knowledge and opinion change as the primary outcome of a deliberative process while largely overlooking the quality of deliberation and its impact on these effects. High-quality deliberation does not imply change per se, but rather evidence that the group processes helped individuals to gain new knowledge and confront different perspectives. This chapter focuses on internal dynamics and their role for these transformations. Features that enhance equality are considered particularly important. Hence, focus is on inclusion, diversity and deliberative disagreement, experts and evidence, reflection and perspective-taking.