Deliberative reason index

The Deliberative Reasoning Index (DRI) is a method for assessing the positions formed by a group taking part in deliberation and their relationship to deliberative ideals of reasoning. The method is informed by a theory of reasoning as intrinsically a group process, and so it is best understood as an emergent group-level property. DRI captures the extent that a group coheres towards a shared understanding of the issue and takes seriously all relevant considerations in forming positions. The method involves measuring and aggregating the proportionality (intersubjective consistency) of differences between individuals regarding considerations, compared to their differences regarding preferred actions. DRI can be applied to analysis of how deliberative reasoning is improved, as well as perform comparisons across different cohorts. The method fills an important niche in the methodological inventory of deliberative democracy, evaluating outcomes without imposing external standards on their content.