‘Democracy Machine’ – Guest lecture by Prof. John Gastil | May 19

05 05 2026

Professor John Gastil from Pennsylvania State University, USA, to deliver a guest lecture on May 19th

The Deliberation Center invites you to a lecture entitled “Boosting Democratic Resilience through Better Online Public Engagement: Introducing the Concept of a ‘Democracy Machine,'” which Professor John Gastil will deliver on May 19, 2026, from 4:45 PM to 6:15 PM, in the Department of Sociology, Room 18 (Ground Floor). The lecture will be held in English.

Below is the introduction to the lecture and the lecturer’s bio.

Abstract

Around the globe, democracy strains under the weight of polarization, misinformation, public distrust, and authoritarian populist movements. Yet democratic systems can become more resilient when citizens have better ways to learn, deliberate, and participate in government decision making. In this lecture, John Gastil suggests how local and regional governments can strengthen democracy through practical reforms. Drawing on lessons from both democratic innovation and online games and tools, Prof. Gastil introduces the idea of deploying a “Democracy Machine.” This digital network of institutions and technologies could help democratic systems withstand shocks by becoming more open, deliberative, and responsive to the needs of their constituents.

Lecturer’s biography

John Gastil is a Distinguished Professor at Penn State, where he holds appointments in Communication Arts and Sciences, Political Science, and the School of Public Policy. He has led research supported by the National Science Foundation on election reforms, jury deliberation, and how bias shapes public opinion. Prof. Gastil is one of the leading scholars of deliberative democracy and has published articles and books on the subject for three decades. His talk at the University of Warsaw is adapted from his forthcoming book, Rewiring the Democracy Machine: A Call for Changing How We Govern Ourselves Online, which will be published with open public access in 2027 by Temple University Press.