Abstract
Empirical research into the possible positive consequences of deliberation increasingly reveals that there is a complex relationship between deliberation and its effects on citizens. In this experimental study I examine the relationship between internal political efficacy and one type of deliberation: deliberative decision-making. I also test whether different structures of decision-making mediate between deliberation and internal political efficacy. The data suggest that deliberative decision-making had no direct effect on a global measure of internal political efficacy. Participants in face-to-face deliberative decision-making, though, had higher scores on a situation-specific measure of internal political efficacy than participants who only voted. The structures of decision-making had no effect on either measure of internal political efficacy. These results support claims that deliberation will not necessarily lead to direct, positive effects on citizens’ internal political efficacy, but they also highlight the likelihood that face-to-face deliberation can lead citizens to feel more competent in their deliberative abilities.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alan C. Acock Harold D. Clarke (1990) ArticleTitleAlternative measures of political efficacy: models and means Quality and Quantity 24 87–105
Alan C. Acock Harold D. Clarke Marianne C. Stewart (1985) ArticleTitleA new model for old measures: a covariance structure analysis of political efficacy Journal of Politics 47 1061–1084
George I. Balch (1974) ArticleTitleMultiple indicators in survey research: the concept of ‘sense of political efficacy’ Political Methodology 1 1–43
Bandura Albert (1986) ArticleTitleThe explanatory and predictive scope of self-efficacy theory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psyhology 4 359–373
Bandura Albert (1995) Exercise of personal and collective efficacy in changing societies Albert Bandura (Eds) Self-efficacy in Changing Societies Cambridge University Press Cambridge
Benjamin R. Barber (1984) Strong Democracy University of California Press Berkeley
Jeffrey M. Berry Kent E. Portney Ken Thomson (1993) The Rebirth of Urban Democracy. The Brookings Institute Washington, DC
Shaun Bowler Todd Donovan (2002) ArticleTitleDemocracy, institutions and attitudes about citizen influence on government. British Journal of Political Science 32 371–390
Angus Campbell Gerald Gurin Warren E. Miller (1954) The Voter Decides. Row, Peterson Evanston, IL
Harold D. Clark Alan C. Acock (1989) ArticleTitleNational elections and political attitudes: the case of political efficacy British Journal of Political Science 19 551–62
Stephen C. Craig Richard G. Niemi Glenn E. Sliver (1990) ArticleTitlePolitical efficacy and trust: a report on the NES pilot study items Political Behavior 12 289–314
Stephen C. Craig Michael A. Maggiotto (1982) ArticleTitleMeasuring political efficacy Political Methodology 8 85–109
Jack Crittenden (1992) Beyond Individualism Oxford University Press New York
Michael X. Delli Carpini Cook Fary Lomax Lawrence R. Jacobs (2004) ArticleTitlePublic deliberation, discursive participation, and citizen engagement: a review of the empirical literature Annual Review of Political Science 7 315–344
John Doble Damon Higgins Jennifer Begasse Celeste Fisher (1996) The Public’s Capacity for Deliberation: What Can We Learn From NIF?. John Doble Research Associates Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Steven E. Finkel (1985) ArticleTitleReciprocal effects of participation and political efficacy: a panel analysis American Journal of Political Science 29 891–913
Steven E. Finkel (1987) ArticleTitleThe effects of participation on political efficacy and political support: evidence from a West German panel The Journal of Politics 49 441–64
James Fishkin (1995) The Voice of the People Yale University Press New Haven
John Gastil (2000a) By Popular Demand University of California Press Berkeley
John Gastil (2000b) ArticleTitleIs face-to-face citizen deliberation a luxury or a necessity? Political Communication 17 357–361
John Gastil (2004) ArticleTitleAdult civic education through the national issues forums: developing democratic habits and dispositions through public deliberation. Adult Education Quarterly 54 308–328
John Gastil James P. Dillard (1999) ArticleTitleThe aims, methods, and effects of deliberative civic education through the national issues forums Communication Education 48 179–192
Robert E. Goodin (2004) Reflective Democracy Cambridge University Press Cambridge
Robert E. Goodin Simon J. Niemeyer (2003) ArticleTitleWhen does deliberation begin internal reflection versus public discussion in deliberative democracy. Political Studies 51 627–649
Edward S. Greenberg (1986) Workplace Democracy: The Political Effects of Participation. Cornell University Press Ithaca, NY
Edward S. Greenberg Leon Grunberg Kelley Daniel (1996) ArticleTitleIndustrial work and political participation: beyond ‘simple spillover’. Political Research Quarterly 49 305–330
John R. Hibbing Elizabeth Theiss-Morse (2002) Stealth Democracy Cambridge University Press Cambridge
James E. Maddux (1995) Self-efficacy theory: an introduction James E. Maddux (Eds) Self-Efficacy, Adaptation, and Adjustment Plenum Press New York
James E. Maddux Melinda A. Stanley (1986) ArticleTitleSelf-efficacy theory in contemporary psychology: an overview Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 4 249–255
Jane. Mansbridge (1980) Beyond Adversary Democracy University of Chicago Press Chicago
Franco Mattei Richard G. Niemi (2005) Political efficacy Sam Best Benjamin Radcliffe (Eds) Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion Greenwood Press Westport, CT
Maxwell McCombs Amy Reynolds (1999) The Poll With a Human Face. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Mahwah, NJ
John Stuart Mill (1991) Considerations on representative government John Gray (Eds) On Liberty and Other Essays Oxford University Press Oxford
Michael E. Morrell (1999) ArticleTitleCitizens’ evaluations of participatory democratic procedures: normative theory meets empirical science Political Research Quarterly 52 293–322
Michael E. Morrell (2003) ArticleTitleSurvey and experimental evidence for a reliable and valid measure of internal political efficacy Public Opinion Quarterly 67 589–602
Richard G. Niemi Stephen C. Craig Mattei Franco (1991) ArticleTitleMeasuring internal political efficacy in the 1988 National Election Study. American Political Science Review 85 1407–1413
Carol Pateman (1970) Participation and Democratic Theory Cambridge University Press New York
Samuel C. Patterson Randall B. Ripley Stephen V. Quinlan (1992) ArticleTitleCitizens’ orientations toward legislatures: congress and the state legislature The Western Political Quarterly 45 315–338
Steven J. Rosenstone John Mark J. Hansen (1993) Mobilization, Participation, and Democracy in America Macmillan Publishing Company New York
Thomas J. Rudolph Amy Gangl Stevens Dan (2000) ArticleTitleThe effects of efficacy and emotions on campaign involvement. Journal of Politics 62 1189–1197
Tianjian Shi (1999) ArticleTitleVoting and nonvoting in China: voting behavior in plebiscitary and limited-choice elections. Journal of Politics 61 1115–1139
Tom W. Smith (1999) The delegates’ experience Maxwell McCombs Amy Reynolds (Eds) The Poll With a Human Face Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Mahwah, NJ 39–58
Karen Stenner-Day Mark Fischle (1992) ArticleTitleThe effects of political participation on political efficacy: a simultaneous equations model. Australian Journal of Political Science 27 282–305
Richard J. Timpone (1998) ArticleTitleStructure, behavior, and voter turnout in the United States American Political Science Review 92 145–158
Walsh, Katherine C. (2003). The democratic potential of civic dialogue on race. Paper prepared for the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association.
Neil Wollman Rolan Strouder (1991) ArticleTitleBelieved efficacy and political activity: a test of the specificity hypothesis. Journal of Social Psychology 131 557–566
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Morrell, M.E. Deliberation, Democratic Decision-Making and Internal Political Efficacy. Polit Behav 27, 49–69 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-005-3076-7
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-005-3076-7