Arild Ohren
About
Interests
Democratic innovations, deliberative democracy, representation, democratic theory, participation
About
Arild Ohren is a leading researcher on deliberative mini-publics and democratic innovations in Norway. He holds a PhD in Political Science from NTNU, where his dissertation focused on the representative claims of deliberative mini-publics. Arild has extensive experience designing, organizing, and advising democratic processes across Norway, including citizens’ assemblies and panels in Trondheim, Oslo, Stavanger, and Røros. He has also served on the advisory board for Norway’s two national citizens’ assemblies, contributing expertise on the design and implementation of deliberative processes at the national level.
His current positions include:
- Researcher at NTNU, part of the CIRCULAR project funded by the Research Council of Norway
- Senior Democratic Expert at NetZeroCities, The Democratic Society
- Independent Expert for the European Commission, evaluating the Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators
He is also actively involved in several international networks and advisory boards, including:
- Federation for Innovation in Democracy – Europe
- Participedia’s “Democratic Representation” research cluster
- OECD Innovative Citizen Participation Network
PhD Project
In response to democratic deficits, democratic innovations—particularly deliberative mini-publics—have gained prominence. My PhD project investigated the representative claim of these mini-publics: Who was being represented, and how? What were the implications of organizer choices in participant selection?
Representation was central to evaluating the democratic quality of these innovations. While increased citizen participation was often seen as a remedy to democratic deficits, poorly designed participatory spaces risked reinforcing societal inequalities. My research contributed to the theoretical and practical understanding of how deliberative mini-publics can enhance democratic representation.
Dissertation: The Representative Claims of Deliberative Mini-Publics
Available at: NTNU Open
Publications
2026
-
Ohren, Arild;
Lüning, Elizabeth Calderón;
Markov, Čedomir;
Stearns, Max.
(2026)
From Efficiency to Deliberation: Rethinking AI’s Role in Institutionalizing Democratic Innovations.
Politics and Governance
Academic article
2024
-
Munthe-Kaas, Heather Eileen Menzies;
Oxman, Andrew David;
Lieres, Bettina Von;
Gloppen, Siri;
Ohren, Arild.
(2024)
Public participation in decisions about measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.
BMJ Global Health
Academic literature review
2022
-
Arnesen, Sveinung;
Fimreite, Anne Lise;
Ohren, Arild;
Bjørseth, Pål;
Bentsen, Henrik Litleré;
Aars, Jacob.
(2022)
Hvordan gjennomføre borgerpanel.
NORCE Research AS
NORCE Research AS
Report
Journal publications
-
Ohren, Arild;
Lüning, Elizabeth Calderón;
Markov, Čedomir;
Stearns, Max.
(2026)
From Efficiency to Deliberation: Rethinking AI’s Role in Institutionalizing Democratic Innovations.
Politics and Governance
Academic article
-
Munthe-Kaas, Heather Eileen Menzies;
Oxman, Andrew David;
Lieres, Bettina Von;
Gloppen, Siri;
Ohren, Arild.
(2024)
Public participation in decisions about measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.
BMJ Global Health
Academic literature review
Report
-
Arnesen, Sveinung;
Fimreite, Anne Lise;
Ohren, Arild;
Bjørseth, Pål;
Bentsen, Henrik Litleré;
Aars, Jacob.
(2022)
Hvordan gjennomføre borgerpanel.
NORCE Research AS
NORCE Research AS
Report