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This article aims to shed light on the performative dimension of participation in policy making. It is argued that we can enhance our understanding of the dynamics of policy deliberation examining the setting in which the deliberation takes place as well as the particular staging of that setting. Portraying political processes as sequences of staged performances of conflict and conflict resolution, this article analyzes how the design of the setting affects what is said, what can be said, and what can be said with influence. This helps to understand why many of the familiar participatory arrangements fail to satisfy both governments and the public. It also gives a new perspective on joint policy learning and opens a perspective on how to enhance the democratic quality of policy deliberation.