Deliberative democracy in Habermas

Abstract

Habermas always proposes public discussion among all citizens as the fundamental element of the deliberative democratic process. From his point of view, the fundamental is always the search for democratic legitimacy, through the participation of the entire citizenry in the broadest and most deliberative way possible, only in this way must political-legislative decisions once approved be obeyed by all citizens, because they are perceived as right choices. He argues that for there to be a true democracy, it is not enough for political decisions and laws to simply result from the votes of the majority of citizens or, as is the case today in parliamentary democracies, their elected representatives. Indeed, he proposes, in his theory of participatory and deliberative democracy, that decisions can only be considered legitimate insofar as they result from a rich and articulate process of citizen participation in a public discussion, which takes place mainly in informal contexts, in public opinion, in the media and not only in parliaments. Only the passage through these filters (and not just the normal elections provided for in democratic states) authorises what Habermas calls a presumption of democratic-participatory reasonableness for the whole citizenry to share in the results and laws finally arrived at. Ultimately, he proposes a major reform of all democratic systems that we know so that they actually make citizens participate, making them feel like creators of the rules they obey.