Unlike the commonly used public opinion polls, Deliberative Polling (DP) provides a way of obtaining public input that is both considered on the one hand and representative on the other. A DP draws and interviews a random sample of the public, then invites them to a common site to discuss the issues for a day or a weekend.
The participants are sent balanced briefing materials laying out the major arguments for and against the policy proposals under discussion. Onsite, they alternate between discussing the issues in randomly assigned small groups, led by moderators trained to intervene as little and as neutrally as possible, and questioning balanced panels of policy experts in plenary sessions.
At the end, they complete the same questionnaire as at the beginning. The results paint a picture of a more informed public, thinking harder and talking more with people very different from themselves, holding very different views, as well as one of how that public differs from one we actually have.
Lead by Professor Robert C Luskin, the leading researcher in thie area of DP, the closed-door discussion will bring together government officials, private and people sector leaders, and academics to explore the concept and practice of DP and how they may be applicable in the context of policy making in Singapore.
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