The din and deadlock of public life in America-where insults are traded, slogans proclaimed, and self-serving deals made and unmade-reveal the deep disagreement that pervades our democracy. The disagreement is not only political but also moral, as citizens and their representatives increasingly take extreme and intransigent positions. A better kind of public discussion is needed, and Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson provide an eloquent argument for "deliberative democracy" today. They develop a principled framework for opponents to come together on moral and political issues. Gutmann and Thompson show how a deliberative democracy can address some of our most difficult controversies-from abortion and affirmative action to health care and welfare-and can allow diverse groups separated by class, race, religion, and gender to reason together. Their work goes beyond that of most political theorists and social scientists by exploring both the principles for reasonable argument and their application to actual cases. Not only do the authors suggest how deliberative democracy can work, they also show why improving our collective capacity for moral argument is better than referring all disagreements to procedural politics or judicial institutions. Democracy and Disagreement presents a compelling approach to how we might resolve some of our most trying moral disagreements and live with those that will inevitably persist, on terms that all of us can respect. “ Democracy and Disagreement , by two well-known philosophers, makes a significant contribution to the debates currently plaguing us… [It is] intellectually satisfying. Gutmann and Thompson confront the culture wars head on, asking how we can deliberate our way through our disagreements. Their answers are thoughtful, original, and powerful… What gives the book so much power is not just that it thoughtfully defines the principles that should guide moral argument. Gutmann and Thompson go on to apply their framework for moral discussion to some of the most difficult and controversial questions facing Americans today, including affirmative action, health-care rationing and abortion… They do not always succeed, but they provide a stunning model of how to conduct serious moral discussion in the face of fundamental disagreement… Everyone who considers himself a responsible citizen should read Democracy and Disagreement … It actually might help us resolve our current moral crises.” ― Suzanna Sherry , Washington Post “In Democracy and Disagreement , Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson go a long way towards filling the gap [between proceduralist and constitutional democrats]. The co-authors provide an appealing and yet not entirely unrealistic standard―called ‘deliberative democracy’―to evaluate the workings of ‘actually-existing’ democracies. This book, despite its flaws, is a landmark contribution to democratic theory. It should help to set the terms for moral debate on democratic ideals for many years to come. Its core idea is simple: when democratic citizens disagree with each other about public policy, they should continue to reason together in order to reach mutually acceptable decisions, rather than resort to power politics or interest-group bargaining. The complex part is the debate over the moral principles which should guide political argument in democratic systems. No one else has developed a systematic, book-length argument in this area. Moreover, the co-authors use examples from everyday, real-life politics to make their case.” ― Daniel A. Bell , Times Literary Supplement “In Democracy and Disagreement , a collaborative effort that itself represents the product of deliberative accommodation, Gutmann and Thompson lay the theoretical foundation for their political vision… [Their] study attempts to link political theory and practice, using relevant and often compelling case studies to illustrate the implications of their philosophical principles… Using the standards of reciprocity, publicity, and accountability for the conditions of deliberation and the guidelines of basic liberty, basic opportunity, and fair opportunity for its content, they offer a thoughtful and methodical analysis of recent and ongoing debates to illustrate their theory… Their book represents a thoughtful and important step towards valorizing and normalizing rational and open discussion in public policy-making.” ― Chimène Keitner , Boston Book Review “In a new and meditative book on America’s social conflicts, Democracy and Disagreement , Princeton professor Amy Gutmann and Harvard’s Dennis Thompson suggest that citizens owe each other a more deliberative approach to governance, where moral disagreements like affirmative action are not winner-take-all matters.” ― John Balzar , Los Angeles Times “In Democracy and Disagreement Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson take as their point of departure the inescapability of moral conflict―stemming from value pluralism and incomplete human unders