Jury Service as an Invitation to Citizenship

Assessing the Civic Value of Institutionalized Deliberation

Bibliographic Data

ID6329355
AuthorsJohn Gastil (0000-0002-0337-1064, University of Washington), Phillip J Weiser
Year2006
Volume34
Issue4
Pages605-627
Publication date2006-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolicy Studies Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0190-292X • E-ISSN: 1541-0072
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1541-0072.2006.00194.x
OpenAlexW3123752164
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited18

When considering the merits of deliberative democracy, it is important to look into the experience of the American jury system. The jury has demonstrated the potential for citizen deliberation to play a central role in longstanding governmental institutions, but it has also played an unrecognized role in promoting civic engagement. Building on previous research demonstrating how jury service spurs increased electoral participation after jury service, we present results from a three‐wave panel survey that show that a subjectively rewarding jury experience can spur broader civic engagement beyond voting. Given the value of the jury as both a model of deliberation and an engine of civic spirit, we consider the potential value of creating citizen juries to improve the initiative process, which currently lacks the citizen deliberation that is essential for any effective direct democratic processes

Business · Citizenship · Civic engagement · Deliberation · Deliberative democracy · Democracy · Jury · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Service (business · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Voting · Computer Science · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Law in Society and Culture · Public Administration · Social Media and Politics

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub