Powering Democracy with Citizens’ Assemblies

Our most urgent public problems are only becoming harder to solve, as trust in institutions erodes, disengagement spreads, and polarization pushes us further apart. Citizens’ assemblies offer a creative pathway to tackle big policy issues at the local level—with real-world payoffs: They bring ordinary people together to learn about a public issue, deliberate with one another, and generate practical, actionable solutions. Members gain a better understanding of how democracy actually works—and assemblies themselves act as catalysts for civic infrastructure, building the trust, interpersonal skills, and relationships that communities can draw on to navigate future decisions. While assemblies are not a one-off solution to democratic decline, they offer a promise of democratic renewal and a pathway to a more active and informed citizenry.

It’s an innovative idea with rising popularity—and one that New America’s Political Reform program has been tracking closely across the United States since 2014. Our efforts to track and catalog these assemblies are helping catalyze new participatory innovations across the country, including setting climate policy agendas in Washington state and determining how to use 165 acres of public land in Fort Collins, Colorado. 

By amplifying best practices, elevating new voices, and advancing research, we are also bridging theory and practice by linking on-the-ground findings with public research on democratic reform, making information on best practices widely accessible, and creating a more interdisciplinary ecosystem.