13.2 Deliberative Polling

Learning Goals

[Link to PlayPosit]

[Link to instructional video]

More details: [link to topic on SSS website]

After this lesson, students should

1. [What they should understand, feel, learn, etc.]

Definitions

• Deliberative Polling

  A system of decision-making wherein a representative group of stakeholders come together, exchange and discuss information, question experts, and poll their individual opinions at various points throughout the session.

  • Participants are not required to come to an agreement.
  • Participants are asked to speak to the facts presented in the briefing material, rather than try to convince other group members of their position.
  • Experts are only there to answer questions posed by participants, rather than try to convince people of their own position.
  • Each small group is moderated by a neutral moderator.

Examples

• [item 1]

Common Misconceptions

• Mistaken quote

  Explanation.

Context

[Explanation of how the current topic into the larger context of the course by explaining how the previous topic(s) relate to the current topic and leaving cliffhangers for future topics where relevant throughout the lesson]

Before

1.1 Introduction and When Is Science Relevant

Students are familiar with the tension between facts in an epistocracy and values in a democracy. The primary purpose of a deliberative poll is to resolve this conflict by giving members of the general public access to the narrow expertise needed for some difficult policy decision.

7.1 Causation, Blame, and Policy

• Deliberative polling may be able to help resolve the issues of status quo bias in policy making. It does so by forcing people to carefully consider a wider array of policy options as well as the implications and consequences of each.
• However, people are not immune to their other biases just because they're in a deliberative poll. Omission bias can still be a strong motivator in determining which policy the members of the public select.

10.1 Confirmation Bias

• Selective exposure can be addressed by deliberative polling since all the participants (both members of the general public and experts) are forced to be exposed to multiple sides of whatever policy they're debating.
• Deliberative polling does not necessarily help with biased assimilation.

13.1 Denver Bullet Study

In the Denver Bullet Study method, the final recommendation is provided by experts to match the values put forth by various stakeholders. The citizens don't need to know about the technical details at all. All they have to worry about are the values. In deliberative polling, the experts are there to inform the general public who are integrating facts and values for themselves.

Planning for Deliberative Polling

Developing the Topic

Recommended Outline

Before Class

• Everyone needs to have read the briefing materials.
• Coordinate with the TA and extra moderator for your section.
• Make a pre-poll form.
• Make a post-poll form.
• Make a spreadsheet to put student questions on.
• Prepare a seating chart.
• Review PlayPosit and discussion questions and ask faculty, Gabriel, or Emlen any questions you have.
• (Optional) Prepare a presentation.

During Class

• (10 min) Whole class review of deliberative polling and the briefing materials.
• Give the students the pre-poll and have them do it.
• (30 min) First round of deliberation.
• (10 min) Break and chance to read reading materials for answers.
• (30 min) Second round of deliberation.

After Class

• Compile the questions and make sure it's clear which students are asking them.
• Someone will go through the questions and decide which ones to ask.

Lesson Content

Deliberative Polling Review

GSI reviews how deliberative polling works in the real world and explains the deliberative polling agenda.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

• Pre-poll survey.
• Practice round of deliberation in section.
• Review the briefing materials to see what question we can answer.
• First real round of deliberation in section.
• Someone selects questions.
• First panel discussion with the experts in plenary.
• Second round of deliberation in plenary.
• Someone selects questions.
• Second panel discussion with experts in plenary.
• Third round of deliberation in plenary.
• Maybe a third panel discussion with experts in plenary.
• Post-poll survey.

The goal of the deliberation is to arrive at questions for the experts.

Briefing Material Review

Ask a series of clicker style quick response questions about the content in the briefing material.

This depends on the topic.