In today’s intensely polarized climate, political conversations can quickly devolve into heated arguments. But a process called deliberative democracy has found success convening people from across the political spectrum for informed, reasoned dialogue on contentious issues. As part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week, high school students Ryan Heshmati and Anaya Ertz bring together the head of Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab with people who have brought deliberative techniques to local government to discuss how we can put dialogue and reason at the center of decision-making.
KQED Youth Takeover: Deliberative Democracy Puts Dialogue and Reason at Center of Decision Making
The advocacy group March For Our Lives had a gun-control town hall in Monterey Park, CA on September 8, 2023. (Robert Gauthier via Getty Images)
Guests:
Ryan Heshmati, senior, Saratoga High School
Anaya Ertz, junior, Marin Academy
James Fishkin, professor of international communication, Stanford University; director, Deliberative Democracy Lab
Claudia Chwalisz, founder and CEO, DemocracyNext
Rahmin Sarabi, founder and director, American Public Trust
Sponsored