- \n
- Endogenous Constitutions<\/a> by Ticchi & Vindigni, ties consensual systems with income inequality, not surprisingly consensual systems deliver greater income equality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choosing the Form of Government:-Theory and Evidence from Brazil<\/a> by Nakaguma, this would seem to disagree with Ticchi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Citizens\u2019 Senate \u2013 Towards Consensual Presidential Democracy<\/a>\/ by Tony Czarnecki, a pr\u00e9cis of his longer paper held at https:\/\/sustensis.co.uk\/citizens-senate<\/a>. In the pr\u00e9cis he critiques strong government, identifies weak local government as a problem, justifies citizen’s assemblies and pairs them with citizen petitions for legislative initiative.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Contrasting Styles of democratic Decision Making: Adversarial vs Consensual Politics<\/a> by Ken McRae, this maybe the first person to define consensus vs majority<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 8 Principles of Direct Democracy<\/a>, not quite the same thing, but establishes petitions and referenda as key tools in direct democracy. This is posted at the Centre for Global Development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- There was a CitiDem<\/a> event advertised for 3rd Dec 2025, in which John Boswell from SoTon University will be interviewed by Paulus Blokker.\u00a0 The potential focus on the interview\/debate is Boswell\u2019s book, \u201cBeyond Magical Thinking \u2026\u201d Beyond magical thinking: Why it is still worth trying to improve the policy process – LGIU<\/a> at the LGIU. He has also written a book called \u201cMending Democracy\u201d, … Mending Democracy: Democratic Repair in Disconnected Times<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The disagreement between Ticchi and Nakaguma may need the two theories to take into account the levels of corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Autumn of 2025, I had another look, via is there a one of more white papers documenting the success and failure of citizen’s assemblies<\/a>? by ChatGPT. It found, amongst others, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/publications\/innovative-citizen-participation-and-new-democratic-institutions_339306da-en.html<\/a> from the OECD<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- https:\/\/www.parliament.uk\/globalassets\/documents\/get-involved2\/climate-assembly-uk\/evaluation-of-climate-assembly-uk.pdf<\/a> from the UK Parliament<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- POWER FROM THE PEOPLE? Citizens\u2019 Assemblies in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland<\/a> by Frances Foley published by FES. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- I found by Paul Blocker, https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4359555<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- See also Building a permanent European Citizens Assembly (ECA) together<\/a> from Citizen’s Takeover Europe.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
I should check the other references, some look very informative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result I wrote this blog<\/a>, “On Citizens’ Assemblies”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wrote this blog article<\/a>, which looks at the People’s House stunt at #lab22 and mentions a series of Citizen’s assemblies that have been used in the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somewhere or other my words about term limits, sortition and the need to ensure we don’t create a new class of permanent politicians chosen by lottery and not by election have been lost. Citizen\u2019s assemblies should be seen as an aid to politicians whose constituencies are becoming unmanageably large. I am also of the view that the catchment area of a Citizens; Assembly needs to be small enough that the member\u2019s lived experience is relevant to the problem. I am suspicious of national citizen\u2019s assemblies. I am of the view that citizens\u2019 assemblies should have some say in the topic selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do they improve democracy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Alemanno, Alberto and Organ, James, The Case for Citizen Participation in the European Union: A Theoretical Perspective on EU Participatory Democracy (June 15, 2020).<\/a> Citizen Participation in Democratic Europe: What next for the EU?, ECPR Press \/Rowman & Littlefield, 2021 Forthcoming, HEC Paris Research Paper No. LAW-2020-1376, Available at SSRN: https:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=3627195 or http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.3627195<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Radicality of Sunlight Five Pathways to a More Democratic Europe<\/a>, by Kalypso Nicholadis and others.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
I was taken with the work of the Ost Belgien Model, which sought to create a permanent assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- The Ostbelgien Model: a long-term Citizens’ Council combined with short-term Citizens’ Assemblies<\/a>, In 2019, a permanent Citizens’ Council was established in Ostbelgien (German for Eastern Belgium, the German-speaking community of the country) to constitute the third fundamental democratic institution together with the Parliament and the Executive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Ostbelgien Model: five years on<\/a>, the authors of this paper think it’s a success, but still evolving. They quote, “Once you think that you know how to run these processes, they will again surprise and challenge you.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
And https:\/\/www.buergerrat.de\/wissen\/netzwerk-buergerraete\/<\/a>, a network of municipal activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I should look for some stuff on credit unions and micro lending, this will also have the community dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De Tocqueville in “Democracy in America” coined the phrase “Tyranny of the Majority”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human Rights and guarantees for local democratic autonomy seem key here, The tools can be used to oppress as well as empower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wrote about Democracy and Plebiscites<\/a> on this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Sept 2022, I was pointed at Brigitte Geissel<\/a> of Goethe University who has written often on innovative democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See also my diigo list, tagged #citizensassembly<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nooOOOoo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
Davelevy’s Favorite Links from Diigo<\/a> <\/span><\/h2><\/div>
- To the barricades Mr Burnham! – New Statesman<\/a><\/span>on June 25, 2026 at 10:15 am <\/small>
The state is broken, it needs to be rebuilt with democratic accountability, including PR. Good on history and not so bad on proposals for a future. \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tAnnotations:\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n The core problem with the British state and its political system is that it is an elective dictatorship. Inevitably, its first priority, as with all dictatorships, is to cover its backside. Historically, its singular accomplishment was that the skill of occupants ensured popular consent to their rule. Always, loyalty was combined with grumbling. It was not democracy. But by international standards it was exceptionally legitimate, in that the people consented to their rulers \u2013 a relationship symbolised by our police being unarmed.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n This is simply the starting point, not a panacea. To show he means it, assuming he does, Burham should legislate immediately for a citizens\u2019 assembly with a brief to decide on an electoral system that makes everyone\u2019s vote count and retains constituency MPs.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n According to the Financial Times, one \u201cexecutive\u201d said businesses were against Ed Miliband becoming chancellor because, when Labour leader, he had the nerve to distinguish between \u201cpredators and producers\u201d. My bet is that this executive is in finance. The few business people I know are all too aware of the distinction and how productive companies are starved of capital.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n the key point is to set a defining direction, above all by making corruption an enemy. Empower voters relative to the market. Set about unwinding a \u201cwelfare\u201d system that subsidises cheap wages and high rents. Take our water back from the thieves who are poisoning it. A crucial step will be to break the power of the so-called \u201cLords\u201d, now close to becoming a protection racket, and expel any member of our legislature who is paid by lobbyists.\u00a0\n \n \n \n \n \n \n In the 1980s, the political thinker, Raymond Williams called on the left to replace the notion of socialism, with its focus on production, with \u201cLivelihood\u201d. This, he argued, includes consumption, embraces the environment and personal security (or what we now call precarity), and is centred on people having a sense of generations as well as voice, while it also breaks from regimented notions of class.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n As politicians go, Burnham does seem to be a nice guy. This cannot define a successful premiership. Embodying a new political culture of listening and inclusion is welcome. But it has to be accompanied by an adamantine rejection of the old Labour culture which his now parliamentary colleagues want him to perpetuate. \u201cNo second chance\u201d, is the verdict on the doorsteps. A line has already been drawn by the voters. He has to build a team that understand this and can impose the consequences on a governing order desperate to perpetuate whatever it can of the status quo.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTags:\n\t\t\t\t \n\t politics\n\t \t\t \n\t UK\n\t \t\t \n\t anthonybarnett\n\t \t\t \n\t democracy\n\t \t\t \n\t citizensassembly<\/p><\/div><\/li>
- France takes a historic step toward direct democracy | Democracy International<\/a><\/span>
on February 18, 2026 at 3:00 pm <\/small>They, say, In the gilded halls of the French National Assembly, something remarkable is happening. For the first time in decades, France is seriously debating whether to hand significant political power directly to its citizens. The catalyst? A constitutional reform proposal that could fundamentally reshape French democracy.”\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTags:\n\t\t\t\t \n\t politics\n\t \t\t \n\t france\n\t \t\t \n\t democracy\n\t \t\t \n\t citizensassembly<\/p><\/div><\/li>
- UK Citizens’ Assemblies \u2013 Investigating alternative methods for constitutional design<\/a><\/span>
on February 18, 2026 at 2:57 pm <\/small>They’re actually quite popular, sorition + deliberative discussion.\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTags:\n\t\t\t\t \n\t politics\n\t \t\t \n\t UK\n\t \t\t \n\t citizensassembly<\/p><\/div><\/li>
- European Citizens’ Panel on the new European budget – Citizens\u2019 Engagement Platform<\/a><\/span>
on February 18, 2026 at 2:54 pm <\/small>It’s done now. This is the web page, videos and the final report\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTags:\n\t\t\t\t \n\t politics\n\t \t\t \n\t europeanunion\n\t \t\t \n\t ecp\n\t \t\t \n\t citizensassembly\n\t \t\t \n\t MFF\n\t \t\t \n\t eubudget<\/p><\/div><\/li>
- Citizenwashing EU Tech Policy: EU Deliberative Mini\u2010Publics on Virtual Worlds and Artificial Intelligence | Article | Politics and Governance<\/a><\/span>
on February 18, 2026 at 2:52 pm <\/small>by Perle Petit & Alvaro Oleart, they ask, “How did post-CoFoE citizen panels on EU tech policy play out? We examine the 2023 European Citizens\u2019 Panel on Virtual Worlds, organised by the European Commission, and the 2024 Citizen Panel on Artificial Intelligence organised by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU.”\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTags:\n\t\t\t\t \n\t politics\n\t \t\t \n\t europeanunion\n\t \t\t \n\t citizensassembly\n\t \t\t \n\t IT\n\t \t\t \n\t artificialintelligence<\/p><\/div><\/li><\/ul> <\/div>
- France takes a historic step toward direct democracy | Democracy International<\/a><\/span>
- The Ostbelgien Model: five years on<\/a>, the authors of this paper think it’s a success, but still evolving. They quote, “Once you think that you know how to run these processes, they will again surprise and challenge you.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- The Radicality of Sunlight Five Pathways to a More Democratic Europe<\/a>, by Kalypso Nicholadis and others.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- https:\/\/www.parliament.uk\/globalassets\/documents\/get-involved2\/climate-assembly-uk\/evaluation-of-climate-assembly-uk.pdf<\/a> from the UK Parliament<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choosing the Form of Government:-Theory and Evidence from Brazil<\/a> by Nakaguma, this would seem to disagree with Ticchi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n