The Jury and Democracy: How Jury Deliberation Promotes Civic Engagement and Political Participation

"This profoundly important and highly readable book offers the most thorough examination yet of the impact of serving on a jury. Anyone who cares about how juries affect our democracy should read this book."---Valerie Hans, coauthor of American Juries and Professor of Law, Comell University

"Most People think citizenship begins with voting and ends with taxes. But jury service is in truth more critical to and definitive of democracy. In their rich study of the place of the jury in democracy, Gastil and his colleagues offer powerful evidence showing how jury service can create social capital and transform citizens. Their study is a persuasive portrait of juries but an equally compelling celebration of democracy's possibilities---a welcome riposte to the political cynicism of a polarized America."---Benjamin R. Barber, author of Strong Democracy and Distinguished Senior Fellow, Demos

"I have been waiting decades for a study like this. For the first time we have data on a large sample showing indisputably that taking civic responsibility in one realm promotes taking civil responsibility later in another. This groundbreaking, Careful, and illuminating study is a must for anyone interested in what political theorists have long called the `educative effects' of participation."---Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor, Kennedy School, Harvard University

Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and the U.S. Supreme Court have all alleged that jury service promotes civic and political engagement, yet none could prove it. Finally, The Jury and Democracy provides compelling systematic evidence to support this view.

Drawing from in-depth interviews, thousands of juror surveys, and court and voting records from across the United States, the authors show that serving on a jury can trigger changes in how citizens view themselves, their peers, and their government---and can even significantly increase electoral turnout among infrequent voters. Jury service also sparks long-term shifts in media use, political action, and community involvement.

In an era when involved Americans are searching for ways to inspire their fellow citizens, The Jury and Democracy offers a plausible and realistic path for turning passive spectators into active political participants.

John Gastil is Professor of Communication and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington; E. Pierre Deess is Director of Institutional Research and Planning at the New Jersey Institute of Technology; Philip J. Weiser is Professor of Law at the University of Colorado; and Cindy Simmons is an attorney who teaches Mass Media Law and Negotiation at the University of Washington.