During the event, the students discussed several proposals regarding voting. Overall, participants favored the majority of the proposals both before and after deliberation. But, one proposal dropped dramatically post deliberation – allowing individuals to vote online. PDF
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.
James S. Fishkin, Thad Kousser, Robert C. Luskin, and Alice Siu Perspectives on Politics PDF, Online Appendix
Participants showed overwhelming support for initiative process reforms that would empower voters to better understand the consequences of initiatives they are asked to evaluate, and showed little interest in options that would have enabled the Legislature to affect their content in any way. PDF
The unprecedented challenges faced by California government over the past few years provide an unparalleled opportunity to reform it. Californians demand more from government than it has delivered recently: gridlock, partisan fights, and year after year of deficits. PDF
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.
68% feel that the county’s vital services like education, fire, police and health would suffer if there continues to be a shortage of housing, compared to 46% prior to the event. PDF
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.
The purpose of the Countywide Assembly on Housing Choices is to allow all of us, as taxpayers and residents of San Mateo County, to decide how best to deal with the growing housing crisis in our county. PDF
