The Capacity of the Public: Citizen Participation and the Crisis of Democracy

In this essay we examine “public opinion”—a core concept of democratic theory—in the United States. We explore a foundational question in democratic deliberation and public opinion scholarship: what is the capacity of the public? We first briefly review the meaning, history and theories of public opinion. We then address public opinion in the modern U.S. sociopolitical context, assessing the “crisis of democracy” vis-à-vis the public, highlighting the impact of rapid changes in media and subsequent changes in public spaces and interaction. We address key scholars’ contributions to the debate surrounding the capacity of the public, how these views lead to endorsement of different conceptions of democracy, and how contemporary empirical studies have contributed to the debate. A general decline in American civic participation notwithstanding, we argue that a fairly robust capacity exists for individual members of the general public to formulate sophisticated opinions and engage in democratic deliberation, collective action, and political participation. We offer some suggestions for increasing opportunities for public opinion formation, citizen deliberation and political participation in the current, polarized U.S. political environment. Expanding access to voting, increasing funding for civics education and forums fostering deliberative democracy, and advancing a media reform program to ensure the independence of news outlets are central to this effort.