Blog

The Portland metro area is hosting its first-ever Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR), facilitated by Healthy Democracy, a nonpartisan, nonprofit based in Portland. Up for review: the Metro Region Affordable Housing Bond Measure. A cross-section of voters – who are randomly selected to match the demographics of the metro region in key areas such as political affiliation, […]

Got This Letter in Your Mail? You’ve won the democracy lottery! If you received the letter, you have a chance to be part of a Citizens’ Initiative Review. If you reply and are randomly selected, you will: Spend four days reviewing a measure on the November ballot, as part of a 20-person citizen panel Have

Executive Director Robin Teater reviews our accomplishments in 2017 and looks ahead to the new year.

HD’s summer 2017 Nevins Fellow, Andy Puthenpurayil, argues that one often-distorted category of ballot measures – those dealing with ‘three strikes’ laws and other criminal justice matters – could particularly benefit from the clarity of a CIR-style review.

Program Director Jessie Conover writes a few goodbyes on her leaving Healthy Democracy and the world of deliberative democracy.

Robin Teater writes a goodbye to our beloved program director, Jessie Conover.

In a talk at the Frontiers of Democracy conference in Boston, Ashley Trim calls for greater political inclusiveness within universities and the deliberative democracy community.

Jessie Conover responds to recent articles calling for less public participation in our democracy.

Linn Davis makes the case for urban thinker Jane Jacobs as a grandmother of modern public engagement.

Robin Teater and Linn Davis recap the 2017 Elevate Engagement conference.

Wendy Willis reviews our first Democracy Salon on the topic of trust and journalism. The discussion, she writes, surfaced a number of important questions: “What is the appropriate balance between trust and skepticism?” “How do we foster belonging in a mass society?” and, more succinctly, “What the hell is going on?”

Jessie Conover reviews #Republic, the inspiration for our series on cultivating a healthy and balanced news diet.

Jessie Conover shares her own journey to a more healthy and balanced news diet, through a series of simple steps.

Jessie Conover discusses the need for a healthy and balanced news diet to support a healthy democracy, including a taxonomy of news “food groups.”

Program Director Jessie Conover offers tips for nonpartisan organizations in a time of “existential threats to our democracy”.

Linn Davis completes his post on sociologist Sherry Turkle’s case for conversation with a review of HD’s best ideas for strengthening our skills for political dialogue.

Linn Davis explores sociologist Sherry Turkle’s case for more face-to-face human interaction, in the context of modern US politics.

Healthy Democracy, along with Public Agenda and the Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, is a recipient of the Bridge Alliance 2017 Collective Impact grant program! Read about how this funding will elevate the voices of citizens in California and around the country.

Chip Taylor of Colorado describes why county commissions might find the Citizens Initiative Review intriguing, based on his observations of a Citizens Initiative Review in California.

Ann Bakkensen and Marion Sharp, two participants in Healthy Democracy’s first CIR in Oregon in 2010, discuss experiencing deliberative democracy in action — and the unlikely friendship that resulted.

Italians are voting on a significant ballot measure next week, and voters there are paying to learn about it. Program Director Jessie Conover explains why they shouldn’t have to.

The Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review citizen panel has completed their review of Ballot Measure 97, the corporate gross receipts tax, and the final statement is now available.