The Effects of Mixed Membership in a Deliberative Forum: The Irish Constitutional Convention of 2012–2014. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Farrell, David M; Suiter, Jane; Harris, Clodagh; Cunningham, Kevin
• Is Part Of: Political studies. Volume 68:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 54
• Page End: 73
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: deliberation -- mini-publics -- citizens' assemblies -- sortition; Political science -- Periodicals; 320.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0032321719830936
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-3217

Abstract

The Constitutional Convention was established by the Irish government in 2012. It was tasked with making recommendations on a number of constitutional reform proposals. As a mini-public, its membership was a mix of 66 citizens (randomly selected) and 33 politicians (self-selected). Its recommendations were debated on the floor of the Irish parliament with three of them leading to constitutional referendums; other recommendations are in the process of being implemented. This article uses data gathered during and after the operation of the Convention to examine this real-world example of a mixed-membership mini-public. The focus is on how the inclusion of politicians may have impacted on the Convention's mode of operation and/or its outcomes. We find little impact in terms of its operation (e.g. no evidence that politicians dominated the discussions). There is evidence of a slight liberal bias among the politician membership, but this had little effect on the outcomes.