Michael K. MacKenzie, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

Michael K. MacKenzie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh.

"Can democracies meet the looming problems of the 21st century? There is a growing suspicion that the answer is no or not well. Michael MacKenzie challenges this view and offers a powerful counterpunch to the doomsaying that has dominated democratic crisis literature. Drawing on and contributing to the latest deliberative democracy research, MacKenzie offers a compelling picture of the democratic institutions through which citizens can take hold of their fate and plan for the future. Inclusive deliberative institutions can break away from the short sightedness imposed by election cycles and develop sensible future oriented policies. Realistic, empirically grounded, and most importantly, constructive, Future Publics is a wonderful and original contribution to contemporary democratic theory." - Simone Chambers, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine

"A ground-breaking book. MacKenzie combines a rigorous analysis of the different elements of democratic myopia with a systematic account of the reasons why we can expect deliberation to be future regarding and questions of institutional design. The literature on democracy and future generations is in its infancy and Future Publics will be a highly influential reference point as work in this area matures." - Graham Smith, Professor of Politics, University of Westminster

"Michael MacKenzie shows effectively how inclusive deliberation can render political systems more capable of giving due weight to the long term and proceeds in compelling fashion to supply institutional correctives lenses for the myopia that currently plagues democratic systems. Future Publics should be recognized as the definitive treatment of this crucial topic in democratic theory and practice." - John Dryzek, John Dryzek, Centenary Professor, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra