%0 Journal Article
%T Political testimony
%A Han van Wietmarschen
%J Politics, Philosophy & Economics
%@ 1741-3060
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1470594X18798062
%X I argue that reliance on political testimony conflicts with two democratic values: the value of mutual justifiability and the value of equality of opportunity for political influence. Reliance on political testimony is characterized by a reliance on the assertions of others directly on a political question the citizen is asked to answer as part of a formal democratic decision procedure. Reliance on expert testimony generally, even in the context of political decision-making, does not similarly conflict with democratic values. As a consequence of the argument, citizens have a pro tanto reason to rely on their own political judgment when determining their vote, and democratic societies have a reason to only ask citizens questions they are able to answer without reliance on political testimony
%K testimony
%K voting
%K public reason
%K political influence
%K political equality
%K democracy
%K moral testimony
%K democratic deliberation
%K political epistemology
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1470594X18798062