DELIBERATIVE POLLING®

the center for deliberative democracy

at Stanford University
http://cdd.stanford.edu
The Problem Citizens are often uninformed about key public issues. Conventional polls represent the public's surface impressions
of sound bites and headlines. The public, subject to what social scientists have called "rational ignorance," has little reason
to confront trade-offs or invest time and effort in acquiring information or coming to a considered judgment.
The Approach Deliberative Polling® is an attempt to use public opinion research in a new and constructive way and present
results of a poll with a human face.

The Deliberative Polling® process begins with  A random, representative sample is selected 
administering a questionnaire on a random,  to participate in the Deliberative Poll. 
representative sample of the public.

Poll 1 Recruitment

At the event, participants are randomly 
assigned to small groups with trained 
moderators. 
Prior to the event, participants receive 
b l
balanced briefing materials on the topics 
d b i fi t i l th t i

3 being discussed.
Balanced
Information

Small Group Discussions

Participants pose questions – questions are  The event concludes with a final  Results are analyzed and 

chosen by groups –
y g p to experts and 
p questionnaire capturing  released to the media soon 
policymakers.  participants’ considered opinions. after the event. 
WEB
print

5 TV

Poll 2 Media Coverage

Plenary Sessions

Our Projects Deliberative Polling® has been conducted face-to-face and online in the US and numerous countries around the
world, and here are few examples.

National Projects. CDD and  State and Local Projects. Energy Choices 
MacNeil/Lehrer Productions have  ‐ Vermont, Nebraska, Texas (8 projects) 
conducted DPs on issues facing the  and Nova Scotia have used DP to give 
citizens of the US such as foreign policy,  guidance on how their state/province 
health care, education, and citizenship  should meet its future electricity needs. 
in the 21st century.
China. Zeguo
Chi Z T
Township in Zhejiang 
hi i Zh ji
European Union. CDD and its European  Province has conducted three DPs ‐
collaborators conducted the first  allowing residents to impact the 
European‐wide DP with more than 360  budgetary decisions of their local 
randomly selected citizens from all 27  government. 
member states and discussions were 
conducted in 23 languages.