Gaining confidence – Examining the effects of participation in deliberative mini-publics on self- and other-regarding democratic beliefs

Research on the participation effects of deliberative mini-publics has often focused on political opinions and knowledge, but less is known about the effects on confidence in deliberation and political talk. Given widespread concerns about eroding tolerance and trust in democracy, deliberation should ideally contribute to citizens’ ability to engage in political talk, as well as the confidence that such talk is possible and worthwhile. Following Dahl’s strong principle of equality, we argue that it is important that citizens believe that other people are capable of contributing. Thus, this study asks whether participation in mini-publics fosters confidence in political talk, measured by internal political efficacy, confidence in others’ democratic abilities and tolerance for opposing views. Using before–after surveys from three Swedish mini-publics in 2024, we find significant increases in participants’ confidence in their own abilities and those of co-participants, despite high baseline values. Effects on perceptions of people in general and tolerance for disagreement were mixed. When comparing cases, we find stronger effects when participants had more deliberation time and when the issue of the assembly was more politicised. The findings suggest that mini-publics can enhance confidence in political talk, depending on their design, duration and context.