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Bridging the Gap between
Public Officials and the Public:
What legislators need and what a
deliberating public can do
The Problem

Public meetings and public
hearings often don‟t work
for officials or citizens.

Why not? What can be done?
New sources of information
 24 Interviews*
     State legislators
     Staff for federal legislators


 Evaluations of 3 deliberative projects
     One national project
     Two statewide projects in Oregon and Michigan

* Supported by The Kettering Foundation
Legislators spend time and
energy to engage citizens…
   Constituent service
   Newsletters, e-bulletins, websites
   Informal district gatherings
   Communicating through the media
   Public hearings
   Town hall meetings
   Meetings convened by advocates or
    nonprofits
Legislators value communication
with constituents…

         They want to hear the
      concerns of „real people‟ –
not just lobbyists and special interests

    … but they are frustrated with
         traditional formats
      for public engagement.
In town halls and
public hearings, citizens:
 Seem uninformed
 Are increasingly uncivil or disrespectful
  toward officials
 Disagree with one another and are
  unwilling to compromise
 Do not understand the economic,
  political, legal, and other constraints on
  government
Bridging the gap between public officials and the public   slides with video - compressed version
Is there another way?

“What drove me to try structured,
planned public engagement was my
awful experience with unstructured,
unplanned public engagement.”
          – John Nalbandian, former
         mayor of Lawrence, Kansas
An alternative:
Public deliberation
 Reaching out to recruit diverse groups of
  citizens – not just the usual suspects
 Structuring discussions to allow people
  to be heard, to learn, and to consider a
  range of views and options
 Gathering input for public officials
 Sometimes, facilitating action planning
  by participants
Coverage of public deliberation project in MI
When interviewed,
most legislators:
 Had no experience or knowledge of public
  deliberation – and didn‟t understand how
  it differs from what they already do
 Said that extremes dominate the
  discussion and control political outcomes
 Questioned why public deliberation would
  be any different
Legislators said that to be
credible, deliberation must be:
1. Demonstrably neutral and balanced
2. Diverse demographically and politically
3. Civil and informed
4. Able to foster civic skills and dispositions
5. Successful in getting participants to
   address tough choices
Does public deliberation deliver?
Findings from:
 24 Interviews
   12 state legislators
   12 national staff for federal legislators
   12 Democrats, 12 Republicans

 Evaluations of Deliberations in 2010
   National “Our Budget, Our Economy” project
   “Oregon Citizens‟ Initiative Review”
   Michigan “Hard Times, Hard Choices” project
Image from “Our Budget, Our Economy” project
“Our Budget, Our Economy”
          United States, June 2010
 “National conversation on our fiscal future”
 Organized by AmericaSpeaks with partners
  from across ideological spectrum
 19 primary sites; 38 smaller ones
 Diverse group of 3,500 people
 Participants asked to make tough choices on
  budget deficit and economic needs
 After discussion, conservatives more likely to
  accept tax increases, progressives more
  likely to accept spending cuts
 Positive reactions by participants
“Citizens’ Initiative Review” (CIR)
              Oregon, June 2010
 Deliberations used to develop “Citizen
  Statements” on 2 ballot measures (minimum
  sentences and medical marijuana )
 Statements distributed to voters in 2010 election
 CIR process approved by state
  legislators, organized by Healthy Democracy
  Oregon
 Randomly invited citizens (2 panels, 48 people)
 Deliberations were respectful and rigorous
 Voting results went against CIR Statements
 In 2011, Oregon legislature created agency to
  continue CIR process
“Hard Times, Hard Choices”
          Michigan, November 2010
 “Deliberative Poll” on tough state policies: taxes,
  school funding, health care, transportation
 Organized by By the People, with range of
  stakeholders
 314 randomly invited, demographically
  representative residents
 Discussion found to be of high quality and
  represent diverse perspectives
 After deliberation, more residents supported
  raising income and sales taxes, reducing
  business taxes
#1: Neutrality and Balance
 Participants, observers, evaluators find
  facilitators and process to be neutral
 Example: Oregon CIR - Satisfaction with
 process neutrality
#2: Diversity and Representation

 Participants can reflect make-up of
  relevant population
  Example: Hard Choices project a “true slice
  of Michigan”
       On age, race, gender, education and
        geography, participants were
        indistinguishable from random sample
       29% of the participants non-white,
        including 17% African Americans
       12% between 18 and 24 years old
#3: Civility and Respect
 Participants feel they are given a chance to
  express themselves
 Participants exchange information and
  reasons, and hear each others‟ feelings &
  experiences
  Example: Oregon CIR
   Equal chance to participate: “A” grade
   Consideration of different views: “A” grade
   Mutual respect: “A-” and “A” grades
#4: Civic Attitudes
 Participants emerge with a greater sense of
  political efficacy – that they can “have a
  say”
 Participants feel that they have behaved like
  responsible citizens
  Example: Our Budget, Our Economy
#5: Facing up to Tough Choices

 In all three projects:
   Participants confronted constraints,
    disagreements
   Participants often moved toward
    „middle of the road‟ compromises
   Deliberation diminished the role of
    ideology in participants‟ views
#5: Trade-offs
Example: Our Budget, Our Economy – Opinion
change on deficit reduction options, by political
identity
Public deliberation can produce
the kinds of discussions
legislators say they want
Neutral organizers can recruit diverse
participants who:
 Interact in a civil, respectful way
 Learn about issues and develop better civic
  attitudes
 Are willing to consider tough trade-offs
 Arrive at and articulate a sense of the
  „common good‟
BUT…this necessary
evidence is not sufficient

 Legislators have trouble imagining what
  public deliberation looks like
 Legislators say they need to experience
  public deliberation directly
 Legislators doubt the viability of public
  deliberation – especially its political
  feasibility and relevance
The “political logic”
of public deliberation
 Legislators see little political incentive for public
  deliberation:
    The system forces them to cater to the loudest voices &
     most powerful or wealthiest interests
    The system “is itself not civil and deliberative”
 To influence a legislator, deliberation must occur in
  her/his district, on her/his issues, with her/his
  constituents.
 To influence a whole legislature, has to reach
  multiple districts simultaneously and at scale
 Deliberation could be useful for “politically
  inconsequential” or “politically unwinnable” issues
How to bridge the gap?
  Recommendations for:
       Funders,
       the Field
         and
      Legislators
What funders can do:
 Provide resources to elected officials‟
  umbrella organizations to enable members to
  attend relevant deliberations
 Require organizers to work with locally
  trusted intermediary organizations
 Select issues for public deliberation with a
  view to political logic
 Enable targeted advance work: presentations
  to elected officials that frame value of public
  deliberation in terms that make sense locally.
What funders can do:
 Expand „ripple effect‟ of deliberations
  through consistent, opportunistic, and
  locally driven follow-up, using media and
  local institutions (e.g., higher education)
 Explore methods of evaluation that will
  gauge direct and „ripple‟ effects of
  deliberation on voters
 Identify and fund innovative attempts to
  „scale up‟ public deliberation
What the field can do
 Partner with locally trusted intermediaries
  to engage individual legislators
 Approach legislators well in advance, and
  solicit their input on topics and objectives
 Motivate legislators to attend deliberations -
  frame the value in terms of local and
  political priorities
What the field can do:
 Take the political concerns of
  legislators to heart:
   Involve a diverse group of constituents
   Reach a critical mass directly or
    indirectly
   Deploy deliberation on issues and in
    contexts and at a scale that makes
    political sense despite polarization
What the field can do:
 Structure local deliberations as a building
  block for state/federal deliberations
 Develop innovative ways to „scale up‟
  deliberations, e.g. using online tools
 Design documentation and evaluation to
  convey value of deliberation as a politically
  rational and viable tool for governance
 Conduct an education campaign that
  captures the character of deliberations --
  especially neutrality, and civic behavior
What legislators can do:

LEARN more about public deliberation:
 Suspend your disbelief!
 Contact deliberative conveners and
  organizations to learn about their
  processes and get their evaluations
 Look closely and objectively at the
  evidence
 Work with trusted organizations to identify
  and attend a deliberative event
What legislators can do:
TRY public deliberation:
•   Incorporate deliberative elements into
    the engagement work you already do
•   Work with a neutral organizer to launch
    a small-scale trial or pilot
•   Use “best practice” in process design
•   Use your convening power and work
    „across the aisle‟ to help recruit diverse
    participants
What legislators can do:
SUPPORT deliberative efforts:
 See local deliberations as a building
  blocks for large-scale state/federal
  deliberations
 Foster “deliberative desire” among
  constituents and colleagues
 Collaborate with trustworthy organizations
  and build bi-partisan coalitions to advocate
  for deliberation
 Use your communications capacity to
  create a „ripple effect‟ from deliberations
Resources
 www.deliberative-democracy.net
 www.ncdd.org
 www.everydaydemocracy.org
 www.americaspeaks.org
 www.publicagenda.org
 www.kettering.org
 www.nlc.org

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Bridging the gap between public officials and the public slides with video - compressed version

  • 1. Bridging the Gap between Public Officials and the Public: What legislators need and what a deliberating public can do
  • 2. The Problem Public meetings and public hearings often don‟t work for officials or citizens. Why not? What can be done?
  • 3. New sources of information  24 Interviews*  State legislators  Staff for federal legislators  Evaluations of 3 deliberative projects  One national project  Two statewide projects in Oregon and Michigan * Supported by The Kettering Foundation
  • 4. Legislators spend time and energy to engage citizens…  Constituent service  Newsletters, e-bulletins, websites  Informal district gatherings  Communicating through the media  Public hearings  Town hall meetings  Meetings convened by advocates or nonprofits
  • 5. Legislators value communication with constituents… They want to hear the concerns of „real people‟ – not just lobbyists and special interests … but they are frustrated with traditional formats for public engagement.
  • 6. In town halls and public hearings, citizens:  Seem uninformed  Are increasingly uncivil or disrespectful toward officials  Disagree with one another and are unwilling to compromise  Do not understand the economic, political, legal, and other constraints on government
  • 8. Is there another way? “What drove me to try structured, planned public engagement was my awful experience with unstructured, unplanned public engagement.” – John Nalbandian, former mayor of Lawrence, Kansas
  • 9. An alternative: Public deliberation  Reaching out to recruit diverse groups of citizens – not just the usual suspects  Structuring discussions to allow people to be heard, to learn, and to consider a range of views and options  Gathering input for public officials  Sometimes, facilitating action planning by participants
  • 10. Coverage of public deliberation project in MI
  • 11. When interviewed, most legislators:  Had no experience or knowledge of public deliberation – and didn‟t understand how it differs from what they already do  Said that extremes dominate the discussion and control political outcomes  Questioned why public deliberation would be any different
  • 12. Legislators said that to be credible, deliberation must be: 1. Demonstrably neutral and balanced 2. Diverse demographically and politically 3. Civil and informed 4. Able to foster civic skills and dispositions 5. Successful in getting participants to address tough choices
  • 13. Does public deliberation deliver? Findings from:  24 Interviews  12 state legislators  12 national staff for federal legislators  12 Democrats, 12 Republicans  Evaluations of Deliberations in 2010  National “Our Budget, Our Economy” project  “Oregon Citizens‟ Initiative Review”  Michigan “Hard Times, Hard Choices” project
  • 14. Image from “Our Budget, Our Economy” project
  • 15. “Our Budget, Our Economy” United States, June 2010  “National conversation on our fiscal future”  Organized by AmericaSpeaks with partners from across ideological spectrum  19 primary sites; 38 smaller ones  Diverse group of 3,500 people  Participants asked to make tough choices on budget deficit and economic needs  After discussion, conservatives more likely to accept tax increases, progressives more likely to accept spending cuts  Positive reactions by participants
  • 16. “Citizens’ Initiative Review” (CIR) Oregon, June 2010  Deliberations used to develop “Citizen Statements” on 2 ballot measures (minimum sentences and medical marijuana )  Statements distributed to voters in 2010 election  CIR process approved by state legislators, organized by Healthy Democracy Oregon  Randomly invited citizens (2 panels, 48 people)  Deliberations were respectful and rigorous  Voting results went against CIR Statements  In 2011, Oregon legislature created agency to continue CIR process
  • 17. “Hard Times, Hard Choices” Michigan, November 2010  “Deliberative Poll” on tough state policies: taxes, school funding, health care, transportation  Organized by By the People, with range of stakeholders  314 randomly invited, demographically representative residents  Discussion found to be of high quality and represent diverse perspectives  After deliberation, more residents supported raising income and sales taxes, reducing business taxes
  • 18. #1: Neutrality and Balance  Participants, observers, evaluators find facilitators and process to be neutral Example: Oregon CIR - Satisfaction with process neutrality
  • 19. #2: Diversity and Representation  Participants can reflect make-up of relevant population Example: Hard Choices project a “true slice of Michigan”  On age, race, gender, education and geography, participants were indistinguishable from random sample  29% of the participants non-white, including 17% African Americans  12% between 18 and 24 years old
  • 20. #3: Civility and Respect  Participants feel they are given a chance to express themselves  Participants exchange information and reasons, and hear each others‟ feelings & experiences Example: Oregon CIR  Equal chance to participate: “A” grade  Consideration of different views: “A” grade  Mutual respect: “A-” and “A” grades
  • 21. #4: Civic Attitudes  Participants emerge with a greater sense of political efficacy – that they can “have a say”  Participants feel that they have behaved like responsible citizens Example: Our Budget, Our Economy
  • 22. #5: Facing up to Tough Choices  In all three projects:  Participants confronted constraints, disagreements  Participants often moved toward „middle of the road‟ compromises  Deliberation diminished the role of ideology in participants‟ views
  • 23. #5: Trade-offs Example: Our Budget, Our Economy – Opinion change on deficit reduction options, by political identity
  • 24. Public deliberation can produce the kinds of discussions legislators say they want Neutral organizers can recruit diverse participants who:  Interact in a civil, respectful way  Learn about issues and develop better civic attitudes  Are willing to consider tough trade-offs  Arrive at and articulate a sense of the „common good‟
  • 25. BUT…this necessary evidence is not sufficient  Legislators have trouble imagining what public deliberation looks like  Legislators say they need to experience public deliberation directly  Legislators doubt the viability of public deliberation – especially its political feasibility and relevance
  • 26. The “political logic” of public deliberation  Legislators see little political incentive for public deliberation:  The system forces them to cater to the loudest voices & most powerful or wealthiest interests  The system “is itself not civil and deliberative”  To influence a legislator, deliberation must occur in her/his district, on her/his issues, with her/his constituents.  To influence a whole legislature, has to reach multiple districts simultaneously and at scale  Deliberation could be useful for “politically inconsequential” or “politically unwinnable” issues
  • 27. How to bridge the gap? Recommendations for: Funders, the Field and Legislators
  • 28. What funders can do:  Provide resources to elected officials‟ umbrella organizations to enable members to attend relevant deliberations  Require organizers to work with locally trusted intermediary organizations  Select issues for public deliberation with a view to political logic  Enable targeted advance work: presentations to elected officials that frame value of public deliberation in terms that make sense locally.
  • 29. What funders can do:  Expand „ripple effect‟ of deliberations through consistent, opportunistic, and locally driven follow-up, using media and local institutions (e.g., higher education)  Explore methods of evaluation that will gauge direct and „ripple‟ effects of deliberation on voters  Identify and fund innovative attempts to „scale up‟ public deliberation
  • 30. What the field can do  Partner with locally trusted intermediaries to engage individual legislators  Approach legislators well in advance, and solicit their input on topics and objectives  Motivate legislators to attend deliberations - frame the value in terms of local and political priorities
  • 31. What the field can do:  Take the political concerns of legislators to heart:  Involve a diverse group of constituents  Reach a critical mass directly or indirectly  Deploy deliberation on issues and in contexts and at a scale that makes political sense despite polarization
  • 32. What the field can do:  Structure local deliberations as a building block for state/federal deliberations  Develop innovative ways to „scale up‟ deliberations, e.g. using online tools  Design documentation and evaluation to convey value of deliberation as a politically rational and viable tool for governance  Conduct an education campaign that captures the character of deliberations -- especially neutrality, and civic behavior
  • 33. What legislators can do: LEARN more about public deliberation:  Suspend your disbelief!  Contact deliberative conveners and organizations to learn about their processes and get their evaluations  Look closely and objectively at the evidence  Work with trusted organizations to identify and attend a deliberative event
  • 34. What legislators can do: TRY public deliberation: • Incorporate deliberative elements into the engagement work you already do • Work with a neutral organizer to launch a small-scale trial or pilot • Use “best practice” in process design • Use your convening power and work „across the aisle‟ to help recruit diverse participants
  • 35. What legislators can do: SUPPORT deliberative efforts:  See local deliberations as a building blocks for large-scale state/federal deliberations  Foster “deliberative desire” among constituents and colleagues  Collaborate with trustworthy organizations and build bi-partisan coalitions to advocate for deliberation  Use your communications capacity to create a „ripple effect‟ from deliberations
  • 36. Resources  www.deliberative-democracy.net  www.ncdd.org  www.everydaydemocracy.org  www.americaspeaks.org  www.publicagenda.org  www.kettering.org  www.nlc.org