Democracy depends on deliberation
In a Wide Angle video, Stanford history Professor Jack Rakove says that the value of deliberation, a founding principle of the Republic, has been deeply damaged by primaries and professional politicians. On deliberation, he cites James Madison, one of the founding fathers, who expressed that the deliberative process is best served when congressional representatives and other leaders in the U.S. government are well-informed and educated on the issues while showing patience and calm in the dynamics of political discussion.
Go to the web site to view the video.
View Q&A with Jack Rakove (PDF)
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