Creating Spaces of Engagement: Policy Justice and the Practical Craft of Deliberative Democracy

There is a growing need for public buy-in if democratic processes are to run smoothly. But who exactly is ＂the public＂? What does their engagement in policy-making processes look like? How can our understanding of ＂the public＂ be expanded to include - or be led by - diverse voices and experiences, particularly of those who have been historically marginalized? And what does this expansion mean not only for public policies and their development, but for how we teach policy? Drawing upon public engagement case studies, sites of inquiry, and vignettes, this volume raises and responds to these and other questions while advancing policy justice as a framework for public engagement and public policy.

Stretching the boundaries of deliberative democracy in theory and practice, Creating Spaces of Engagement offers critical reflections on how diverse publics are engaged in policy processes.

Leah R. E. Levac is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph.
Sarah Marie Wiebe is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa.