Article
The Obama Phenomenon: Deliberative Conversationalism & the Pursuit of Community Through Presidential Politics
Journal of Law and Social Change
(2009)
Abstract
Does political theory have an interesting relationship to presidential politics? This Article argues that the public statements of Senator Barack Obama exemplify an anti-foundationalist theory of political dispute resolution. This theory, called “deliberative conversationalism,” attempts to answer the question of how agreement is possible in a republican democracy. The theory’s central features include deliberation, conversation, transformative change, community, and, consensus. These are also elements in Senator Obama’s vision for a new American politics. Understanding the relationship between the theory of deliberative conversationalism and Senator Obama’s public statements provides a window into the mind of a politician who may become the next president of the United States.
Keywords
- Obama,
- deliberation,
- conversation,
- community
Disciplines
Publication Date
2009
Citation Information
Robert Justin Lipkin. "The Obama Phenomenon: Deliberative Conversationalism & the Pursuit of Community Through Presidential Politics" Journal of Law and Social Change Vol. 12 Iss. 1 (2009) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert_lipkin/1/