THE DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY CONSORTIUM

THE CONTEXT FOR ENGAGEMENT: HOW HAVE CITIZENS* CHANGED?

More educated

More skeptical – different attitudes toward authority

Have less time to spare

Better able to find resources, allies, information (Internet)

 * citizens = residents, people

THE CONTEXT:FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

Have the most at stake in community success More motivation to engage, but even less time Want to engage in community, not just politics

THE CONTEXT: CIVIC TECHNOLOGY

Available free for download at BIT.LY/IWJGQN

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THREE MINUTES AT THE MICROPHONE

Retrieved from Cincinnati.com, July 27, 2012

The status quo and default structure No discussion outside the agenda Oriented to getting comments in the record Easy to disrupt Even the physical layout makes people angry

THREE MINUTES AT THE MICROPHONE

THICK PARTICIPATION: Informed, deliberative, emotional, full of choices for groups to make

THIN PARTICIPATION: Fast, easy, full of choices for individuals to make

THICK ENGAGEMENT: SMALL-GROUP PROCESSES

No more than 12 people per group;

Facilitator who is impartial (doesn’t give opinions);

Start with people describing their experiences;

Lay out options;

Help people plan for action.

Give people the information they need, in ways they can use it

Lays out several options or views (including ones you don’t agree with!)

Trust them to make good decisions

THICK ENGAGEMENT: FRAMING AN ISSUE

THICK ENGAGEMENT: ENCOURAGING CITIZEN ACTION

THIN ENGAGEMENT: CITIZENS GATHERING DATA

THIN ENGAGEMENT: CITIZENS GENERATING, RANKING IDEAS

THIN ENGAGEMENT: COORDINATING WORK BY CITIZENS

THICK AND THIN REQUIRE PROACTIVE RECRUITMENT Map community networks;

Involve leaders of those networks;

‘Who is least likely to participate?’

Use online as well as f2f connections;

Follow up!

THIN + THICK ENGAGEMENT:

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

Text, Talk, and Act

part of the National Dialogue on Mental Health

TREATING CITIZENS LIKE ADULTS

Give them: Information Chance to tell

their story Choices Legitimacy Chances to

take action Good process Food and fun!

THREE MINUTES AT THE MICROPHONE

Retrieved from Cincinnati.com, July 27, 2012

WHY SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT?

Increases in: Trust Efficiency Equity Connectedness…which increases: Economic growth Public health

Lower corruption Lower inequality Lower infant mortality Higher trust in gov’t Higher tax compliance Higher completion rates for gov’t projects Officials more likely to be reelected

LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF PARTICIPATION

Wampler and Touchton 2014, Peixoto 2014, Spada 2012

Public participation could help address these and other problems

BUT

Our participation infrastructure is weak and not up to the task

Participation Infrastructure: the laws,

processes, institutions, and

associations that support regular

opportunities, activities, and

arenas that allow people to connect

with each other, solve problems,

make decisions, and be part of a community.

“PORTSMOUTH LISTENS” PORTSMOUTH, NH

Ongoing process since 2000

Several hundred participants each time

Addressed a number of major policy decisions: bullying in schools, school redistricting, city’s master plan, balancing city budget, whether to build new middle school

JANE ADDAMS SCHOOL FOR DEMOCRACY WEST SIDE OF ST. PAUL, MN

50-200 people in “neighborhood learning circles” every month since 1998

Involves recent Hmong, Latino, Somali immigrants Young people involved in circles and other activities Cultural exchanges - food, crafts, storytelling Has resulted in new • projects, initiatives, • festivals, and change• in INS policy

“CREATE BUCKHANNON” BUCKHANNON, WV

Ongoing process since 2009 Weekly lunch, using open space process, called

“Meet and Eat” Have created a park, a weekly summer music

festival and market, a city plan, various downtown improvements and safe biking and walking routes

To belong To have an impact To have a legitimate voice Those desires show up in

thick and thin engagement…and sometimes thick and or thin helps people achieve them

WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT?

Engagement Building Blocks

Disseminating Information

Gathering Input and Data

Enabling Small-Scale Decision

Making(individuals,

families, groups, neighborhoods)

Enabling Large-Scale Decision

Making(communities, cities, regions)

Discussing and Connecting

Encouraging Public Work

PARTICIPATION METRICS AND CIVIC INDICATORS

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PARTICIPATION

Stronger networks, online and off, for recruitment and dissemination of information

Better use of social media to raise interest, discussion before and between meetings

Clear avenues for public to present ideas for the agenda

At the meeting (or as a pre-meeting), a format featuring small-group discussions

Proposed guideline: Electeds cannot vote, act, or make decisions until information from meeting is made public

GUIDELINES FOR BETTER PARTICIPATION