Establishment of Citizen Assemblies

A Citizen Assembly shall be established in each of the 435 Congressional districts. Each assembly shall consist of 100 citizens, randomly selected from the eligible voting population of the district, ensuring demographic, geographic, and political diversity. Participation shall be voluntary, with reasonable compensation provided for time and service.

Role and Function of Citizen Assemblies

Citizen Assemblies shall convene at least twice per year to deliberate on legislation, policy proposals, and public concerns relevant to their district, state, and the nation. Assemblies shall have access to expert testimony, balanced information, and public input to inform their discussions.

Binding Nature of Assembly Decisions

1. Each Citizen Assembly shall issue formal policy recommendations for its district. These shall be transmitted to:
   • The district’s U.S. House Representative, who must introduce legislation based on the assembly’s recommendations.
   • Both U.S. Senators from the state, who must acknowledge the assembly’s findings and incorporate them into Senate deliberations.
2. Lawmakers may modify assembly recommendations to address legal, constitutional, or implementation concerns. However, any modifications must be publicly justified in writing and cannot fundamentally alter the intent of the assembly’s decision.

Congressional Action Requirement

1. If a supermajority (⅔) of all Citizen Assemblies reach consensus on a national policy matter, Congress shall be required to hold a formal vote on corresponding legislation within one year.
2. If Congress fails to pass legislation aligned with the assemblies’ recommendations, it must issue a public, written explanation detailing the reasons for inaction.
3. Assemblies shall have the authority to refer unaddressed proposals directly to a national referendum if Congress repeatedly fails to act.

Public Transparency and Accountability

1. All assembly reports, representative responses, and legislative actions shall be publicly available through a national digital archive.
2. Lawmakers who fail to comply with the assembly process will be recommended to a no-confidence vote to be removed from office unless they provide a sufficient public justification reviewed by an independent commission.

Protection from Political Interference

1. Citizen Assemblies shall be independent from political parties and government control. A non-partisan commission shall oversee their formation, ensuring fair selection processes and protections from undue influence.
2. Funding for Citizen Assemblies shall be secured through a dedicated, non-discretionary federal budget, preventing Congress from undermining the system by withholding resources.

Implementation and Ratification

Congress shall enact laws necessary to implement and support this amendment, including procedures for selection, compensation, and operational logistics. This amendment shall take effect immediately upon ratification.

Deliberative democracy is a form of democracy where decisions are made through informed, reasoned discussions among a representative sample of citizens. It involves people engaging in structured dialogues to consider different viewpoints, weigh evidence, and arrive at reasoned conclusions, often on policy issues or proposed laws. These discussions emphasize thoughtful deliberation, respect for diverse opinions, and finding common ground, rather than simply voting based on political affiliation.

Deliberative democracy addresses the issues of direct democracy and representative democracy by combining the best elements of both. Direct democracy often leads to decisions made by uninformed or emotional reactions to issues, while representative democracy can suffer from partisanship, special interest influence, and voter apathy. Deliberative democracy improves upon these models by fostering thoughtful, reasoned discussions that involve a broad, randomly selected group of citizens. This ensures that decisions are based on more than just the loudest voices or political affiliations, making them more reflective of the overall public interest.

Deliberative democracy is needed to improve decision-making by involving citizens in discussions that go beyond partisanship and quick reactions. It helps ensure that policies reflect informed public opinion, enhance civic engagement, and strengthen democratic institutions.

By bringing together a diverse range of citizens, deliberative democracy encourages dialogue among people with different viewpoints. This process fosters understanding, reduces division, and promotes collaboration instead of divisive politics.

A Citizens’ Assembly is a group of citizens brought together to discuss specific issues and make recommendations. Members are selected to represent the diversity of the population, and they engage in structured discussions with access to balanced information and expert insights. After deliberating, they propose solutions or policies that are often sent to lawmakers or put to a referendum.

Deliberative democracy can address any issue of public importance, such as healthcare, climate change, electoral reform, or constitutional amendments. It is especially useful for complex or controversial issues that benefit from deeper, collaborative discussion rather than polarized debate.

Deliberative democracy promotes better government by creating informed, balanced recommendations for policy changes. It ensures that government actions are grounded in the reasoning and concerns of citizens rather than the influence of special interests or party politics.

Deliberative democracy is important because it creates opportunities for informed and inclusive decision-making. It encourages citizens to engage with issues on a deeper level, helps reduce polarization by fostering understanding among people with different viewpoints, and often leads to more thoughtful and sustainable policies.

Deliberative democracy promotes deeper understanding, reduces polarization, and encourages collaboration among citizens. Decisions made through deliberation are often more widely accepted because people feel they had a say in the process, leading to stronger social cohesion and legitimacy for policies.

Deliberative democracy has been used successfully in countries like Ireland, where Citizens’ Assemblies have deliberated on major issues like same-sex marriage and abortion laws. Other countries, including Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Belgium, have also used deliberative processes for issues such as electoral reform, climate policy, and urban planning.

Deliberative democracy isn’t as widely known because it hasn’t been widely implemented or promoted in mainstream media or mainstream political systems. Political traditions, media influences, and party structures often prioritize direct elections or representative democracy over alternative models. However, deliberative democracy has gained traction in recent years through pilot programs, local experiments, and academic studies that show its potential to improve decision-making, reduce polarization, and increase civic engagement.

This amendment establishes a national deliberative democracy system, where citizens’ assemblies are convened to discuss major policy issues and propose constitutional amendments. These recommendations will be shared with Congress and the President for further consideration.

Citizens will be randomly selected from each of the 435 congressional districts, ensuring a diverse group that is representative of the population. The selection process will ensure that participants reflect various demographics, including geography, gender, race, age, and socioeconomic background.

Each assembly will consist of 100 citizens, ensuring a manageable group size for deliberation and discussion. This number is large enough to provide a range of viewpoints but small enough for effective communication.

Using assemblies from all 435 congressional districts ensures that the deliberative process is geographically representative, capturing a broad diversity of perspectives from every part of the country. It guarantees that all regions, from urban to rural areas, have a voice in the decision-making process. This approach not only ensures a fair and inclusive process but also prevents the domination of larger, more populous regions, which could otherwise distort national policy discussions. By involving all districts, the assembly process can produce recommendations that are more reflective of the entire population, leading to better-informed policies.

The assemblies will deliberate on major national policy issues, proposed constitutional amendments, and any matters referred to them by Congress, the President, or through public petition.

Assemblies will meet in person, with access to expert testimony, relevant information, and diverse viewpoints. Their meetings will be open to the public (space permitting), and their findings will be made available online for transparency.

Deliberative democracy is similar to jury duty in that it involves a randomly selected group of citizens coming together to deliberate on important matters. Just as jurors are selected to impartially weigh evidence and make decisions in legal cases, participants in deliberative democracy are chosen to contribute their diverse perspectives to inform policy discussions. Both systems ensure that ordinary citizens, rather than a select elite, play a critical role in decision-making.

No. The amendment ensures that Congress must consider the findings of the assemblies, though they may amend or adjust the proposals. If a recommendation involves constitutional amendments, it will be put to a national referendum for public approval.

All deliberations of the assemblies will be publicly recorded and made available digitally. Key parts of the proceedings will be indexed, timestamped, and tagged with keywords, making it easy for citizens to access specific topics discussed in the deliberations.

By providing citizens with a direct role in shaping policy, deliberative democracy creates a system of checks and balances. Citizens can hold their representatives accountable through their participation in assemblies, ensuring that their interests are reflected in government decisions.

Traditional voting often fails to capture the depth of informed public opinion. Citizen assemblies, on the other hand, allow for thoughtful, in-depth discussions that consider multiple perspectives, leading to more well-rounded policy recommendations.

The recommendations from the assemblies will be submitted to Congress and the President for consideration. If they involve proposed constitutional amendments, they will be put to a national referendum for approval by the public.

The amendment encourages civic education by ensuring that citizens are informed about their voting rights and the importance of their participation in democratic processes. It promotes education about the deliberative process itself, making citizens more engaged and knowledgeable.

Each assembly will be organized with the help of independent bodies to ensure fairness and transparency. Congress will fund and oversee the process, while a separate commission will ensure that the assemblies operate free from political influence.

Yes, assemblies will have access to experts and diverse viewpoints to help inform their discussions. Expert testimony will be presented to ensure that decisions are based on accurate, evidence-driven information.

While Congressional committees are composed of elected representatives, citizen assemblies are made up of randomly selected members of the public. This makes them more reflective of the entire population, ensuring that decision-making isn’t solely in the hands of politicians.

By randomly selecting participants from all walks of life, deliberative democracy ensures that a wide range of voices, including those of marginalized communities, are heard. This inclusivity leads to policies that better reflect the needs and desires of the entire population.

This amendment strengthens democracy by providing citizens with a direct, influential role in shaping policy decisions. It fosters more informed, collaborative, and balanced decision-making, leading to a government that better reflects the values and needs of its people.

Yes, members are compensated for their time and contributions. Compensation is designed to allow a broad range of citizens to participate, including those who might otherwise face financial or personal obstacles. This support may cover wages for time spent, travel, and other related expenses, ensuring that all selected individuals can participate fully.