“Lottery-selected democracy is no panacea, but it is an example of a complex design that directly counters many of the threats facing our democracy today. It guarantees representation of many identities rather than relying on those who have the time, confidence, and resources to show up. It fosters collaboration more concretely than one-directional community engagement. And it fundamentally shifts power to communities.”
Our very own Alex Renirie partnered with Petaluma City Manager, Peggy Flynn to co-author an article in Western City Magazine. Alex and Peggy discuss the real shift that can come with people-powered decision making highlight that at its core, it is about shifting power back to community members. They summarize the groundbreaking Petaluma Fairgrounds Advisory Panel outlining the key process elements. They wrap up by discussing the broader community benefits that Petaluma has seen since the Panel and a call to protect community-scale collaborative infrastructure.
You won’t want to miss it. Click here for the full article