By: Gregory Burnep

My first reaction, upon being introduced to TheDelibero.com a few weeks ago, was one of excitement. As someone who has never shied away from a good debate, I spent my four years as an undergraduate (I graduated this past May) engaging in countless political discussions with professors and fellow classmates. Every so often, I would feel particularly passionate about an issue and write an article for the school newspaper. Frequently, I received feedback about these articles from my friends and fellow undergraduates, both in person and over email. The feedback was often thoughtful, whether it came in the form of general agreement with my positions or emphatic disagreement. I like to think that these articles, and the responses that I received, contributed to a genuine, free political discourse on a college campus that unfortunately promoted far too little of it.

I am intrigued by TheDelibero.com because its fundamental reason for existing is not only laudable, but necessary in a society that aspires to meaningfully govern itself. What do I mean by meaningful self-government? Perhaps it is best if I answer that by first outlining what I do NOT mean. By genuine self-government, I do not mean simply casting a vote every two or four years for your representatives in Congress or the President of the United States. Please don’t get me wrong: the civic act of voting is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy, and we ought to encourage all of our fellow citizens who take the time to become informed about the issues to vote each and every November. But this act alone does not make us a self-governing nation. Neither does getting all of our political “knowledge” from a platitude-laden 30 second campaign commercial or the 10 second sound bite du jour featured on our favorite nightly news program.

Self-government, properly understood, means continuously engaging in the political process even when it is not election season. It requires, among other things, an informed electorate that consistently reads the newspaper, has a basic understanding of how American political institutions work, is familiar with the nation’s founding documents and understands what they mean, and is able to carry on a productive and educated debate about the important issues facing our society. As I see it, TheDelibero.com seeks to foster this sort of deliberative attitude among the members of a specific age demographic: young Americans. You know, the sorts of people who instinctively check their Blackberries every five minutes no matter what time of day it is, who believe that a 100 character-long, grammatically incorrect “tweet” or idle banter back and forth on someone’s Facebook wall constitutes genuine political dialogue. Sarah Palin’s recent decision to begin using Facebook to release her statements rather than confining herself to the op-ed pages of national newspapers confirms this trend and shows that our generation is not alone in making this transition.

Now, let me be clear: I’m not declaring war on Twitter or Blackberries.  And I will readily admit that I am guilty of the occasional Facebook exchange. What I am suggesting is this: while these electronic mediums have a role to play in our 21^st century political discourse, they cannot by themselves generate true “deliberation” about the pressing issues of our time. And that is why TheDelibero.com’s mission is so worthy: it seeks to both provide a forum for and actively promote real, intelligent discussions about politics. We often take it for granted, but we are fortunate as citizens of this great nation to have the right to criticize our leaders and engage in free inquiry about the proper direction of our country. Armed with the solemn understanding that so many of our fellow human beings around the globe are not so lucky, it would be a shame not to exercise this right in a constructive manner.

Gregory Burnep is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where he studied Political Science.   He most recently authored Checking the Commander in Chief: An Analysis of the Power of the Purse in American Foreign Policy, which  he will present at the annual Northeast Political Science Association Meetings in Philadelphia.   Greg lives in Manchester,  CT, listens to classic rock, and is a diehard Mets and Jets fan.