Citizen Assemblies: How Randomly Selected People Are Making Better Policy
From Ireland to Belgium, randomly selected citizen assemblies are producing thoughtful policy recommendations on divisive issues — and outperforming traditional politics.
Citizen Assemblies: How Randomly Selected People Are Making Better Policy
When Ireland faced the deeply divisive question of abortion rights in 2016, it did something unusual. Instead of leaving the decision to politicians, it convened a Citizens' Assembly — 99 randomly selected Irish citizens given the time, resources, and expert testimony to develop policy recommendations.
The results surprised everyone. The assembly's recommendations led directly to the referendum that repealed Ireland's constitutional ban on abortion, passing with 66% support. More importantly, the process itself earned widespread respect from both sides of the debate.
What Are Citizen Assemblies?
A Citizens' Assembly brings together a representative group of ordinary people — selected by civic lottery to reflect the broader population's demographics — to learn about, deliberate on, and make recommendations about a specific policy issue. Participants hear from experts, advocates, and stakeholders. They debate in small groups and plenary sessions. Finally, they vote on recommendations.
Why They Work
Research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified several reasons why citizen assemblies produce high-quality results:
- Deliberation over division — Participants have time to learn and discuss, rather than scoring political points
- Diverse perspectives — Random selection ensures views from all walks of life
- No reelection pressure — Members can focus on good policy rather than popular opinion
- Informed decision-making — Direct access to balanced expert testimony
Real-World Applications
Several countries and regions have used citizen assemblies successfully:
- Ireland — Constitutional conventions on marriage equality, abortion, and gender equality
- Belgium — The German-speaking Community established a permanent Citizens' Council
- France — President Macron's Citizens' Convention on Climate Change
- United Kingdom — Climate Assembly UK
- Oregon, USA — Citizens' Initiative Reviews on ballot measures
Limitations and Criticisms
Citizen assemblies are not a panacea. Critics point to several challenges:
- Cost and time — They require significant resources
- Implementation gap — Governments often ignore recommendations
- Scale — They work for specific questions but can't replace the full legislative process
Practical Takeaways
- Better decisions come from better processes — the structure of deliberation matters as much as the participants
- Ordinary people can engage with complex policy when given the right support
- Deliberative democracy is growing — more than 600 citizen assemblies have been held worldwide