The democratic limits of political experiments. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Beerbohm, Eric; Davis, Ryan; Kern, Adam
• Is Part Of: Politics, philosophy & economics. Volume 19:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 321
• Page End: 342
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: ethics of field experiments -- democratic theory -- manipulation -- egalitarianism; Social sciences and ethics -- Periodicals; Philosophy and social sciences -- Periodicals; 320.05
• DOI: 10.1177/1470594X20944401
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-594X

Abstract

Since field experiments in democratic politics influence citizens and the relationships among citizens, they are freighted with normative significance. Yet the distinctively democratic concerns that bear upon such field experiments have not yet been systematically examined. In this paper, we taxonomize such democratic concerns. Our goal is not to justify any of them, but rather to reveal their basic structure, so that they can be scrutinized at further length. We argue that field experiments could be democratically objectionable even if they are not decisive – even if they do not swing the results of elections or other political decisions. Rather, if a class of campaign experiments is objectionable, one reason for this is that they undermine citizens' equal standing. The ideal of equal standing affords nuanced judgments about the permissibility of field experiments in democratic politics.