Author Archives: Simon John Niemeyer

Deliberative democracy and the media

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Simon John Niemeyer

Deliberative democracy is based on the principle that politics should be inclusive, deliberative and consequential. This means that there need to be mechanisms to ensure that all those affected by collective decisions should be able to influence the outcome and … Continue reading →

Posted in Deliberative Democracy, media, Simon Niemeyer | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Good political deliberation involves listening and empathy, a rare beast it seems

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Simon John Niemeyer

There is a good commentary piece in the Age today about the perils of political communication and the tendency for people (and I mean all of us) to interpret what we are reading or listening to from our own particular … Continue reading →

Posted in Deliberative Democracy | Leave a comment

You’re feeling very sleepy…now vote for me!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Simon John Niemeyer

In one of the more creative attacks in contemporary Australian politics, Bob Carr (former NSW premier and newly installed into the Australian Senate) accused the leader of the opposition of hypnotising the electorate, repetitively using sound bites in order to … Continue reading →

Posted in public will, Simon Niemeyer | Tagged | Leave a comment

Billionaires, Politics and Deliberative Democracy: Who should get a say?

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Simon John Niemeyer

The Australian Federal Treasurer has recently identified Australia’s emerging caste of mega rich mining magnates as a threat to Australian democracy. The argument is that they are exerting undue influence on politics because of their ability to mobilise resources to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What does the public really want when it comes to political leaders, or anything else? A deliberative democratic perspective

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Simon John Niemeyer

Anyone in Australia will know that today there was a leadership vote in the governing Labor party at the Federal level. There are more than a few commentators playing to the theme that the victory of the prime-minister over her … Continue reading →

Posted in public will, Simon Niemeyer | Leave a comment