Download This PaperDemocratic Reason: Why the Many are Smarter than the Few and Why it Matters
28 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2009 Last revised: 3 Jun 2011
Date Written: September 14, 2009
Abstract
This paper presents an argument for democracy based on the idea of collective intelligence (connecting numbers and a key ingredient of the phenomenon of collective intelligence, i.e., cognitive diversity). It also suggests different ways, positive and normative, in which this argument should matter for political scientists (particularly democratic theorists and public opinion researchers).
Keywords: epistemic democracy, collective intelligence, wisdom of crowds, majority rule, deliberation, diversity, public opinion research, information
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Landemore, Helene E., Democratic Reason: Why the Many are Smarter than the Few and Why it Matters (September 14, 2009). APSA 2009 Toronto Meeting Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1449594
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