From two-track to tessellation: a revised circulation of power model

Purpose The purpose of this project is to test and, if necessary, refine a model of the public sphere known as the circulation of power model. The model faces several criticisms and was applied in a case study only once. It has not yet been applied to an American context. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the circulation of power model as a framework in a historical case study of a regional public library system in the United States. The temporal boundaries of the case are from 1924 to 2016. Findings This study resulted in a new and modified model called the tessellation model. New concepts in the tessellation model include circuits, tessellations, formal decisions and decision cycles. New distinctions in the model include narrowcast/broadcast and coalesced public/diffuse public. Research limitations/implications The tessellation model and its associated concepts offer a new way to describe and analyze deliberative systems over time. The model requires further testing in other contexts. Originality/value The tessellation model is a new and validated way to describe the public sphere in an American political context.