ICARE, Chilean Institute of Rational Business Administration, held a forum discussing how democracy will be affected by technological advances and social changes that are being seen in the world.
For the first time, over 200 California public high school seniors from the Bay Area participated in a Deliberative Poll on the issues of voting rights and the value of being informed about politics and public policy. Over the course of one school day, students deliberated with one another on the Stanford University campus and had the opportunity to hear from leading experts in the field.
On June 24, 2011, a scientifically selected random sample of 412 registered voters from throughout the state participated in California’s first ever statewide Deliberative Poll on governance reform, in Torrance, CA. The turnout for the “What’s Next California?” Poll was unprecedented in the 17 year history of Deliberative Polling® and the participants came prepared and eager to share their views and engage with fellow Californians in discussions about how our state is governed.
The results of the deliberative poll, and the reactions of Michigan residents to issues such as poverty, education, unemployment, housing and the economy aired on public TV stations in Michigan on Jan. 18. Questions were formulated with the input of Michigan-based public policy experts.
A randomly selected sample of the entire city of La Plata gathered at a local school for a one-day deliberation about the transit and traffic issues facing the people of La Plata. The first Deliberative Polling® event in Argentina.
The First Deliberative Deliberative Polling® in Latin America took place June 6-7, 2009 in Porto Alegre Brazil. The topic was entitled Public Servants Career Reform and it had very expressive and consistent results.
Is there a critical housing shortage in San Mateo County? If so, what should be done about it? A scientific sample of county residents recently participated in a Deliberative Poll® sponsored by Threshold 2008, a coalition of civic groups in the county. The weekend sample of 238 participants considered competing policy options, became more informed about them, questioned competing experts and by the end of the weekend, changed their views. The Deliberative Poll®, conducted as part of a Countywide Assembly on Housing Choices, was hosted by Cañada College on the weekend of March 15-16, 2008.
How might Deliberative Polling® be used on college campuses to engage students, faculty, staff, and/or members of the broader community in discussions of public issues? Could those deliberations contribute to a more informed community, to better democratic processes, and to the strengthening of the work of preparing undergraduates to be informed, engaged citizens?
By the People — through its local public television and community organization partners — hosted Citizen Deliberations in 11 communities around the country focused on the rights and responsibilities of citizens, as they relate to issues of local importance. The local deliberations were accompanied by a national Online Deliberative Poll exploring 21st century citizenship in America. Weekly discussions were held online using audio chat software developed for deliberative polling®. Participants joined a circular meeting space for a moderated discussion using their computer microphones.
The Deliberative Poll questioned an initial random sample of Vermonters, recruited them to spend a weekend deliberating the issues of how Vermont should meet its future electricity needs, and then questioned them again at the conclusion of the weekend sessions. The results addressed a large number of policy issues: for example, what reliance should be placed on energy efficiency and on energy from various sources like wind, nuclear, and hydro in meeting Vermont’s future electricity needs
