When should a government convene a Citizens Assembly

1
When should a government convene a Citizens
Assembly?

• John Gastil
• University of Washington
• Department of Communication
• Presented May 1, 2008 at UBC Conference When
  Citizens Decide

2
Starting Considerations

• Large-Scale Political Units
• Normal Legislative Session as Default
• Functions well enough on many issues
• Look to more direct processes in specific
  circumstances
• Alternatives
• Canadian model of Citizens Assembly (CA)
• Direct democracy (initiatives/referenda)
• Other citizen engagement processes (deliberative
  variants, community/political organizing, social
  movements)

3
Purposes of Assembly

• Decision making
• Higher-quality policy recommendation
• Consequental action taken (passage)
• Legitimacy
• Public support for Assembly process
• Public confidence in govt. institutions
• Public engagement
• Model deliberative process
• Encourage active civic participation

4
Four Issue Contexts

• Legislature avoids settling an issue
• Visible conflict of interest
• No popular policy choice exists
• Legitimacy
• Partisan deadlock
• Complex debate cutting across conventional
  political and cultural divides

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Ideal Circumstances
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How to Institutionalize CA

• Legislative Action
• Majority party establishes CA
• Bipartisan minority coalition triggers CA
• Citizen Initiated
• Petition (signature-gathering) threshhold
• Coalition of policymakers/NGOs meeting together
  (like participatory budgeting)
• An agenda-setting CA made up of former CA
  participants (possibly with legislators, others
  in minority role)

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