In Search of the “Deliberative Citizen”: Deliberative Principles in Germans’ Everyday Political Talk

Abstract Starting from the premise that deliberative democracy requires a “congruent” political culture constituted by “deliberative citizens,” we study individuals’ self-beliefs about the extent to which they adhere to a broad range of deliberative maxims when discussing politics in their everyday lifeworld. Drawing on a unique survey, we demonstrate the unidimensionality of stances toward deliberative core principles for treating the substance under discussion (reason-giving, opinion change, openness) and for interacting with conversation partners (listening, understanding, empathy, respect). Defining deliberative citizens as those simultaneously acknowledging all these virtues allows us to estimate their share of the citizenry. We find that their proportion is not sufficient to speak of a “congruent” political culture. Certain sociodemographic backgrounds, political motivations and skills, and general personality traits emerge as important correlates. Conflict orientations are the most powerful predictor, but their effect is counterintuitive. Conflict seekers appear more appreciative of deliberation than conflict-averse persons do.