Capability Equality

Discussion

Via Richard Michelle on the principle of Equal Participation (this is an explanatory note attached to his draft Meta-constitution)

Capability Equality

From Bohman (1997, pp. 323 -332 )

“Employing public reason in dialogue with others clearly requires highly developed capacities and skills related to cognition and communication.

But if deliberative politics is to remain democratic, it cannot simply favour those who are most educated, who have access to special information, who possess the greatest resources and privileged social positions – its procedures ought not invariably favour the reasons of advantaged persons or groups.

Capability equality underwrites a fundamental feature of deliberative theories of democracy by developing an account of the minimal level of public functioning necessary for the deliberative equality of all citizens. Such a form of decision making requires equal capacities for active citizenship, and the lack of such capacities for citizenship makes it less likely that the outcomes of deliberation are either just or legitimate.

Similarly, decision making that is conducted out of context with the system within which it is to operate can be harmful to the system. A minimum threshold of systems understanding is a critical enabler of informed, systems-beneficial decisions.

Deliberative theories need to develop…a minimum threshold of shared capability, the absence of which leaves one politically ineffective and hence ‘impoverished’.

Political poverty consists of the inability of groups of citizens to participate effectively in the democratic process… Poverty in this sense is a measure of minimal political equality in a democracy. It sets the threshold requirement of each citizen’s being able to initiate deliberation and to participate effectively in it.

… educative institutions must achieve one minimal goal: that it is possible for each and every generation to participate in and thus to perpetuate democratic life. Capability equality gives us distinct political responsibilities to the future.”

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