Policy proposals with the most votes may not always be the most informative. A research paper now makes the case that divisive issues — those that receive much support but also much opposition — provide valuable information in democratic deliberative processes, as they help to detect relevant demands that would not emerge via agreement rankings.
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Santos, M. Divisive issues can inform democracy. Nat Hum Behav 8, 14–15 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01782-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01782-8
