Planning Through Inclusive Dialogue : No Escape from Social Choice Dilemmas

The thrust of the theory of preference aggregation is that it is impossible to design institutions guaranteeing collective decisions that are both consistent and fair. Proponents of deliberative democracy have used this as an argument for decision-making based on dialogue rather than voting. Communicative public planning - producing plans through public participation exercises - is seen as an integral part of deliberative democracy. It is argued here, however, that the inclusive dialogue of this style of planning cannot promise escape from arbitrariness and does not necessarily deliver improved local decision-making