Abstract
Taking the theory of deliberative democracy as a starting point, the article examines the role of meetings in the process of political decision-making. Focussing on micro-social processes of interaction, it discusses to what extent interaction rules — which are described as “disciplines of communication” — can guarantee that political decisions are reached through argumentative discussion. A comparison of meetings and internet discussions reveals that deliberative decision making requires rules that secure a rational exchange of arguments as well as the personal commitment of the participants. In order to gain a better understanding of these two aspects of decision-making processes, Marcel Mauss’ theory of “gift exchange” is applied to argumentation theory.
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