The Conflict Resolution Program has made a small number of grants to better understand and assess the emerging area of participatory governance or “deliberative democracy,” which we define as those efforts seeking to strengthen the deliberative participation of ordinary citizens in local, state, and national governance. These activities directly respond to those parts of our Program's mission calling for “facilitating systemic change in states” and promoting “dialogue and participation in democratic decision making.”

Deliberative democracy-related initiatives respond to increasingly complex social, environmental and political problems, a growing array of public and private interests on any topic, frequent political gridlock, an often ill-informed electorate, and citizen perceptions that government is not effective, trustworthy or particularly accountable. Proponents of deliberative democracy suggest that effective and legitimate governance cannot be limited to official circles alone, and that reasoned discussions by engaged citizens, and new mechanisms for public consultation, are essential to effective governance and policymaking.

In 2004, we will continue to explore (through grants already made)participatory and deliberative approaches to public policymaking at the municipal level, mapping relevant approaches, and assessing their effectiveness at impacting policy and creating a more informed and effective citizenry.  We are especially interested in the broad participation of citizens in decisions regarding municipal budgeting. We may support one or two initiatives to apply deliberative democracy approaches at the state level as well, with a primary emphasis on California

At both levels, we will monitor present grants, support opportunities for collaboration among our grantees in this area, and actively develop learning links that encourage a rigorous and critical assessment by scholars and practitioners of these emerging practices. We will also be attentive to opportunities to explore the interface of more “traditional” community problem solving and multi-stakeholder consensus building processes with newer deliberative citizen engagement processes. We are hopeful that United States-based practitioners and others have opportunties to  learn from research and practice in other countries.  Our desired outcomes are a sustained increase in the quality, scale and scope of the role played by ordinary citizens in governance leading to better public decisions, an increased responsiveness and accountability by government, and a more knowledgeable and active citizenry.

Highlights

Over the last year, grants have been made to a number of organizations seeking to build both theory and practice in these areas.  Dr. Archon Fung at Harvard's Kennedy School is generating a typology of practices that populate the deliberative democracy landscape. He is also assessing the personal, institutional, and societal impacts of a set of such practices by an experienced practitioner organization. The Deliberative Democracy Consortium has recently held a meeting of researchers and practitioners to discuss and refine a research agenda for this emerging area. The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation is developing a guide for municipal agencies that wish to collaborate with communities seeking greater input and citizen participation. The National League of Cities is continuing to develop its own organizational agenda for “democratic local governance,” educating elected officials about practical examples and best practices, and developing a guide for cities wishing to initiate such innovations. The League will also collaborate with the Foundation to develop participatory budgeting projects in one or two cities that engage citizens in deliberative discussions about important fiscal issues. The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation is an active network of individuals and organizations committed to strenthening the growing practices of  dialogue and deliberation. 

Watch this area for additional links coming soon.