Democracy Beyond Elections: Citizens' Assemblies from a Politician's Perspective

Описание: https://worldprojects.columbia.edu/ev...

This webinar explored the risks and opportunities that politicians and government administrators confront when considering when and whether to use citizens' assemblies.

Speakers:
• Anouch Toranian, Deputy Mayor, Paris, France
• Peggy Flynn, City Manager, Petaluma, California

Moderator:
• Thomas Asher, Director, Research & Engagement, Columbia World Projects

The discussion is one in a series hosted by Columbia World Projects, New America’s Political Reform program, and FIDE - North America, aimed at uncovering the opportunities and challenges of employing citizens’ assemblies in the United States. These virtual discussions with leading researchers and civic practitioners offer those interested in strengthening democratic practice insights into both the transformative potential and limits that assemblies present.

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
00:28 – Overview of the Speakers
01:52 – Reimagining Citizen Engagement
02:12 – Acknowledgments and Partnerships
02:44 – Setting the Context: Democratic Anxiety
04:10 – France in 2018: The Yellow Vest Movement
05:05 – The Paris Consensus Conference
06:08 – From Dialogue to Action: Birth of the Paris Citizen Assembly
07:42 – France's Democracy Deficit and Trust Issues
09:41 – Conditions in Petaluma, California
10:44 – The Fairgrounds Controversy
12:33 – Designing an Inclusive Citizens Assembly in Petaluma
14:23 – Beyond Participation: Trust and Transformation
15:13 – Democratic Innovation as a Supply-Side Solution
15:33 – The Parisian Repertoire of Democratic Practices
16:36 – Participatory Budgeting and Other Innovations
17:58 – Tools for Localized Civic Engagement
20:18 – Spaces for Democracy: Paris’s Public Hubs
21:53 Citizen Assemblies’ Unique Role
24:33 Paris Citizen Assembly’s Legislative Power
27:15 Sharing Government Power with Citizens
28:07 Topic Selection for Citizen Assemblies
30:49 Paris Topic Selection Process
34:18 Balancing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches
35:08 Topics Best Suited for Citizen Assemblies
37:12 Limits of City Government Competence
39:41 Political Buy-In for Citizen Assemblies
42:41 Mayor’s Role in Paris Citizen Assembly