Subject: Re: Citizen Panels coming to NCDD conference
Date: Mon, Aug 25, 2014
Msg: 101146
The Jefferson Center , a sister organization to Healthy Democracy, utilizes the Citizens Jury method to help diverse groups of everyday citizens engage in informed policy discussion and recommend action on issues that affect their lives. Recently a group of randomly selected people representing the demographics of a rural MN community discussed how changing climate is impacting them and recommended action. Typically, at the close of Citizens Jury events like the Jefferson Center or Healthy Democracy conducts, participants express sentiments like, "we've worked together all this time and we don't even know who is Republican or Democrat;" "if we can have these kinds of discussions, why can't our leaders?" or "this is how America is supposed to work!" Some saw a connection between a citizens jury in 2009 on election recounts in MN and the passage of bill on recounts that had been previously stalled by partisan conflict.
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From: List for transpartisan leaders and innovators [mailto:TRANSPARTISAN@LISTS.THATAWAY.ORG] On Behalf Of Debilyn Molineaux, Living Room Conversations Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2014 8:36 AM To: TRANSPARTISAN@LISTS.THATAWAY.ORG Subject: [TRANSPARTISAN] Citizen Panels coming to NCDD conference
Healthy Democracy offers a Citizen's Initiative Review that has been around for three (?) election cycles, using citizen panelists to review facts, interview proponents and opponents of ballot measures, then make a recommendation to fellow citizens, which is publicized and printed in the voter pamphlet.
What other citizen engagement programs in political decision making do you know about? How does it move us beyond partisanship? How large is this aspect of our field?
Debilyn Molineaux, Managing Partner
Living Room Conversations
debilyn@livingroomconversations.org
Healthy Democracy
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