What will it take for U.S. politicians to provide outlets for a consequential voice to citizens between elections
Elected representatives from a broad range of Western democracies beyond the United States are taking bold measures to give real voice to citizens in decision-making. Confronted with protests, polarization and pessimism, countries such as Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands are recognizing the need for a system of governance that is more inclusive and responsive. They are introducing innovative deliberative citizens’ assemblies that offer a consequential voice in policy making.
Our leaders in the U.S. have so far chosen to abstain from this movement, focusing instead on partisan politicking that sporadically ignites the base but does nothing to engage citizens in meaningful dialogue about how to solve our toughest challenges. The results are uninspiring — 83 percent of U.S. citizens feel there isn’t an adequate system in place for their voice to be heard.
Based on my work in Europe and Canada over the last two years, our Western allies no longer look to us as role models of democratic innovation. During a trip to Brussels and Milan, I sat down with parliamentarians, political party presidents and city representatives about the growing role of citizen assemblies.
Read the rest of the article at Truthout.org: https://truthout.org/articles/voters-dont-have-a-voice-in-governance-citizen-assemblies-could-be-the-answer/
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