It is absolutely central. As a matter of fact you just summarized the last sentence of the the book, When Citizens Decide, which reads: “So, even when citizen assemblies prove to be an instance of intense participatory, deliberative, and epistemic democracy, the setting in which assemblies exist may undo all the good they are able to achieve.” In other words, the sales job that's done on the production job is absolutely crucial, and that, in turn, depends upon the context and the political support.
On August 31st, 2016. See this statement in context.