Three unprecedented large-scale democratic experiments have taken place--in British Columbia, the Netherlands, and Ontario--in which groups of randomly selected ordinary citizens were asked to independently design the next electoral system. When Citizens Decide uses these unique cases to examine claims about citizens' capacity for democratic deliberation and active engagement in policy-making. It offers empirical insight into numerous debates and provides answers to key questions. The...
More DescriptionThree unprecedented large-scale democratic experiments have taken place--in British Columbia, the Netherlands, and Ontario--in which groups of randomly selected ordinary citizens were asked to independently design the next electoral system. When Citizens Decide uses these unique cases to examine claims about citizens' capacity for democratic deliberation and active engagement in policy-making. It offers empirical insight into numerous debates and provides answers to key questions. The lessons drawn from the research are relevant for those interested in political participation, public opinion, deliberation, public policy, and democracy