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CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 42
Democratically constituted opinion- and will-formation depends on the supply
of informal public opinion that, ideally, develop in structures of an unsubverted
political public sphere. The informal public sphere must, for its
part, enjoy the support of a societal basis in which equal rights of citizenship
have become socially effective. Only in an egalitarian public of citizens
that has emerged from the confines of class and thrown off the millenniaold
shackles of social stratification and exploitation can the potential of
an unleashed cultural pluralism fully develop – a potential that no doubt
abounds just an much in conflicts as in meaning-generating forms of life.
(Habermas 1996, 307-308)
It is thus equally necessary that both the formal and informal zones of the public
sphere be connected to the other systems of society. The informal zone connects
to the formal zone by providing opportunities for citizens to engage each other in
political discourse, to expand the boundaries of possible solutions to contentious
issues, and to allow for opinion-formation to take place in a non-coercive environment
free from the constraints of the market.
Contrasts between the formal and informal zones of the public sphere can also be
drawn in terms of the requirements of equality, diversity, reciprocity and quality.
Equality is achieved through a balance in representation and access to representatives
in the formal zone. In the informal public sphere, equality is achieved
with equal access to speaking opportunities. Diversity requires a fair and open
presentation of competing viewpoints in the formal zone; in the informal zone,
flexibility in presentation styles and modalities matching the varied skills and experiences
of the participants (Dahl 1985) is necessary. In addition, diversity in the
informal zone can be achieved through flexibility in the boundaries of the public
sphere: contracting at times of low interest, expanding at times of high interest.
Reciprocity in the formal zone is established by demonstrating an understanding
of the views of others; in contrast, reciprocity in the informal zone is focused on
acknowledging the legitimacy of the views of others. Finally, quality in the formal
zone is based on the ability to reach a decision; while in the informal zone, quality
is established by a focus of the discussion on the topic at hand.