Abstract
This paper, originally a presentation to the Sydney Democracy Forum, discusses how the current democratic deficit could be converted to a democratic surplus. In particular, attention is focused on an ambitious project which has recently commenced in Australia which will culminate in a grassroots citizens’ assembly. One hundred and fifty Australians will be randomly selected from each electorate and will participate in a range of deliberative environments (online and face-to-face), culminating in a four-day citizens’ parliament in Sydney. The project is jointly funded by an Australian Research Council-Linkage grant and a not-for-profit organisation, newDemocracy. During the entire process, typical Australians will consider ways in which Australia’s political system could be strengthened to better represent the will of the people.
Keywords
citizens’ parliament, Australia, civic participation, democratic deficit
How to Cite
Carson L., (2007) “Creating Democratic Surplus through Citizens’ Assemblies”, Journal of Public Deliberation 4(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.16997/jdd.64
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