Healthy Democracy is a US-based nonpartisan nonprofit that designs and coordinates
innovative deliberative democracy programs.
We aim to build faith in democratic governance by showing how, across all our difference, we can work productively and fairly together. We design our programs with these underlying values.
The Challenge
60% of Americans say they are pessimistic that Americans who hold different political views can come together to solve the country’s problems. (PRRI)
The Opportunity
56% of Americans say they are optimistic that people in their communities who hold different political views can still come together and solve the country’s problems. (PRRI)
The Challenge
60% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans feel doubt in the country's ability to bridge its political differences. (PEW)
The Opportunity
“[Lottery Selected Panels] build community, bridge differences, and are an example of how we can reach out to each other and despite differences, create hope, stimulate thought, and discover our commonalities.”- Tim, HD Panelist
The Challenge
45% of Americans report not being civically or politically engaged at all in the last year. (PEW)
The Opportunity
Our processes bring new voices to the table. In a recent local government level project, nearly 90% of panelists reported having never volunteered with the city before.
Around the world, governments are employing Lottery-Selected Panels – often called Citizens’ Juries or Citizens’ Assemblies – to put people at the center of governance. Healthy Democracy has designed and convened panels in five U.S. states and three countries since 2008. We are best known for Oregon’s Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR), which is one of the most researched deliberative processes in the world and was one of the first modern lottery-selected panels.
Lottery Selected Panels
A New Kind of Democracy
Lottery-Selected Panels are innovative democratic systems that help governments tackle difficult policy questions. Panelists are everyday people capable of extraordinary collaboration and sophisticated decision making.
Initiative Convention System
Reimagining Direct Democracy
For most of us, initiatives represent our only opportunity to be part of direct policy creation. In our Initiative Convention System, lottery-selected deliberative assemblies – as diverse as our states – write initiatives.
Lottery Assemblies in Local Government
Bringing the Magic of Deliberation to Community Policy-Making
Our most recent example: From November 2020 to April 2021, 29 everyday residents – selected through a democratic lottery – advised the City of Eugene, Oregon, on questions related to housing code changes.
Citizens’ Initiative Review
Voter Info. By Voters, For Voters.
We bring a representative random sample of voters together to study ballot measures.These everyday citizens hear testimony from both sides and from independent experts. And then draft high-quality information for their fellow voters.