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Research

My current focus is deliberative mini publics (DMPs) and public opinion. I am also exploring the relationship between representation and deliberation. I work closely with practitioners to ensure that research is grounded in practice. My research primarily focuses on Canada and Australia, with some work in the UK.

I am trained in comparative public policy, comparative politics, and Canadian politics. I have experience and training in both quantative and qualitative methodologies.

Areas of study

Citizen representation in deliberative mini publics

I aim to deepen our understanding of representation within DMPs through survey data and through data from real-world practice of deliberation, to understand the extent to which deliberative mini publics achieve descriptive and substantive representation.

Public interest

To understand how deliberative mini publics may contribute to the democratic system, I explore the theories of public interest. I consider how we might operationalize the concept of public interest, and trial measurements using deliberative fora.

Theory and practice

I work closely with partner organizations working in this space. I am interested in the gap between theories of democracy and deliberation, and how deliberative processes happen in practice.

Current projects

Image by Elliott Stallion

CIVDEM@Mac

CIVDEM@Mac is a Partnered Learning Pathway in Civic Vitality, Democracy and Elections Management. The interdisciplinary minor equips students to work towards strengthening civic vitality, democratic resiliency, and electoral integrity, and empower underrepresented people to participate in the political and electoral process.

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Public Engagement in Health Policy

The Public Engagement in Health Policy project aims to strengthen health policymaking in Canada by providing a platform for interdisciplinary scholarship, education and leadership in public engagement.

Image by Arnaud Jaegers

Winning the Civic Lottery?

Working in partnership with a practitioner, I collect and analyze data about who responds to invites to participate in DMPs. I aim to understand trends over time, individual and contextual factors that affect participation, and ultimately make recommendations to improve the representativeness of deliberative processes.

Role: Project Director

Funder: MacPherson Institute

Role: Research Assistant

Funder: Future of Canada Project

Role: Lead Researcher

Funder: SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant

Department of Political Science, McMaster University

1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario

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©2023 by Joanna Massie

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