Deliberative group dynamics: power, status and affect in interactive policy making

Many proponents of interactive policy making view citizen consultations as a 'rational deliberation between equals'. Power, authority, rhetoric and emotions are considered to be obstructive factors. In this article it is argued that interactive policy settings are characterised by status and authority hierarchies and affect dynamics. First, two types of deliberative bodies are introduced: citizen forums and stakeholder committees. Next, eight possible power and emotion dynamics are distinguished, including problems maintaining facilitative authority, trust-building work of experts, occurrence of charisma, persisting fear and distrust, hope turning into disappointment, and increasing mutual recognition. The last sections examine in which respects these dynamics occur in the two types of deliberative organisation.