Bryce Anderson - Deliberative Democracy

I find Lincoln Dahlberg’s deliberative digital democracy to be most convincing.  Dahlberg describes deliberative digital democracy as a public sphere which the internet creates.  Individuals can come share opinion on a controversial topic and it can be up for debate among other individuals.  This creates an online discussion of the topic and becomes a way of convincing other individuals for which side of an argument they believe is true.

I believe deliberative digital democracy is Dahlbergs most convincing form of democratic participation because many news sites, as well as social networking sites, use this form of participation.  CNN is a perfect example where individuals come together to share their opinion of a topic.  Individuals will come comment on an article to share their opinion, while other individuals will share whether they agree or disagree with a comment posted.  CNN has posted many articles recently about gay marriage and this is where many individuals of both sides will come share their opinion and debate on which side they believe is true.

Twitter is an example of a social networking site where deliberative democracy takes place.  With trending topics and hash tags becoming a popular feature on the site, it’s easy to find what a popular public topic is at the time.  From there individuals can weigh in on the topic from posting opinions which can even include pictures and videos which can help an opinion become more convincing.  I often find myself using twitter to read individual’s opinions on certain topics that I’m unsure which side I’m on.

I believe Dahlberg’s deliberative democracy is most convincing for the internet.  Many news websites and social networking websites take this form that allows individuals to state their opinion of topics and create an online discussion.  This also helps other individuals who are unsure of where they stand on a topic come and begin to understand each sides approach to a topic.  For the fact that deliberative democracy can help individuals who are unsure of a topic is why I believe this form of democratic participation is best for the internet.