Penn president and professor Amy Gutmann wrote the book on deliberative democracy, literally. She explains what it is and the role it plays at the Bioethics Commission, which she chairs.
What is Democratic Deliberation? A Q&A with Bioethics Commission Chair Amy Gutmann is available on the blog of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (link). For more information on Professor Amy Gutmann, please see her profile (link).