Discursive reciprocity, frames and deliberation: public consultation on the political reform of ALMG

Abstract

The concept of reciprocity is essential to deliberative democrats. However, those who criticize the approach tend to interpret the notion as a burden that deliberative democrats insist on carrying, as it would lead to misleading interpretations of concrete political struggles. This article seeks to discuss the difficulty of dealing methodologically with the notion of reciprocity. It advocates the need of a distinction between two dimensions of reciprocity: direct reciprocity and discursive reciprocity. Through a case study about an online consultation, the article illustrates the analytical operationalization of these dimensions, making use of frame analysis.