In Ireland, a Citizens’ Assembly helped shape public policy. Could it work here?

In 2016 Ireland’s parliament launched an exercise in deliberative democracy called the Citizens’ Assembly. The assembly was composed of a chairperson and 99 citizens selected at random to be representative of the Irish electorate in age, gender, social class, and region. The group was given a series of issues—including abortion and climate change—to study over a period of 12 weeks. Members heard from expert witnesses, discussed the issues, and finally voted on policy proposals.

By all accounts, the citizens rose to the occasion. They felt honored to be asked to participate, took their jobs seriously, and (with the help of facilitators) listened and deliberated carefully. They used the meetings not to press their opinions but to learn and enter into dialogue. By focusing on deliberation and not debate, the assembly was able to move past normally entrenched positions.

The group reached an impressive consensus on a variety of topics, and the results of those deliberations have had political impact. The Irish parliament has used the citizens’ work to shape its own, as in the case of a landmark climate action plan. The assembly also guided public conversation on abortion: when a referendum on abortion law took place in May 2018, the result mirrored the assembly’s recommendation.