Inclusion and Democracy

Abstract Theorists of deliberative democracy have not sufficiently attended to the ways that processes of debate and decision making often marginalize individuals and groups not only because of their lesser social and economic power but also because the norms of political discussion are biased against some forms of expression. Democratic theory should include forms of acknowledgement, narrative, rhetoric, and public protest, along with argument, in its account of the normative ideals of political communication. Inclusive democracy involves more than the formal equality of all individuals and groups to enter the political process, but entails taking special measures to compensate for the social and economic…