Alice Siu on Deliberative Polling and the Future of Democratic Dialogue

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Alice Siu on how deliberative polling fosters informed, respectful public dialogue. They discuss the method’s use in both in-person and on AI-assisted virtual forums, its role in shaping policy, and its potential to reduce polarization. Alice highlights the importance of teaching deliberative skills in schools and how real-time, structured conversations can strengthen democracy.

Dr. Alice Siu is an Associate Director at Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab and a senior research fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.

Show Notes:

• Alice’s book chapter, “Reimagining Democracy: The Role of Technology and Deliberation”
• Alice's paper for the American Political Science Review, "Can Deliberation Have Lasting Effects?"
• Alice’s paper for the American Political Science Review, “Is Deliberation an Antidote to Extreme Partisan Polarization? Reflections on ‘America in One Room’”
• Results of Alice’s work with Meta, April 2024, April 2025, “Results of First Global Deliberative Poll® Announced by Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab”
• New York Times article, “She Is in Love With ChatGPT”
• S1E4, Jennifer Forestal on Designing Democratic Digital Spaces
• S3E1, Kris Rose on Deliberative Democracy and Meta's Community Forums