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.
A Case for Citizens’ Initiative Reviews of Criminal Justice Ballot Measures Read More »
Program Director Jessie Conover writes a few goodbyes on her leaving Healthy Democracy and the world of deliberative democracy.
The Human Heart is the First Home of Democracy*: A Farewell for Now Read More »
Robin Teater writes a goodbye to our beloved program director, Jessie Conover.
To Have Without Holding: A Farewell Message Read More »
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.
Actually, More Public Participation Can Save American Democracy Read More »
Linn Davis makes the case for urban thinker Jane Jacobs as a grandmother of modern public engagement.
Jane Jacobs and Urban Planning’s Lesson for Democracy Read More »
Robin Teater and Linn Davis recap the 2017 Elevate Engagement conference.
Conference Recap: Elevate Engagement 2017 Read More »
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?”
To Speak the Truth: Reflections on the First Democracy Salon Read More »
Jessie Conover reviews #Republic, the inspiration for our series on cultivating a healthy and balanced news diet.
A Healthy News Diet, Part 3: The Inspiration, Cass Sunstein’s #Republic Read More »
Jessie Conover shares her own journey to a more healthy and balanced news diet, through a series of simple steps.
A Healthy News Diet, Part 2: Squaring up your own news diet Read More »
Jessie Conover discusses the need for a healthy and balanced news diet to support a healthy democracy, including a taxonomy of news “food groups.”
A Healthy News Diet, Part 1: An imperfect theory Read More »
From WWLP 22 News: BOSTON (WWLP) – State lawmakers are working to make voting easier on election day. Ballot questions can be confusing, sometimes making it unclear what your ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote actually means. State lawmakers have a proposal that could change where your information comes from. More than 50 state lawmakers support a bill
Massachusetts: State lawmakers working to make ballot questions more clear to voters Read More »
Program Director Jessie Conover offers tips for nonpartisan organizations in a time of “existential threats to our democracy”.
Nonpartisan Hygiene: 6 Tips to Stay Squeaky Clean Read More »
For the second time, the Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review has been named a Top 10 Innovations in American Government recipient by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review Named Top 10 Program by Harvard’s Ash Awards Read More »
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.
Democracy and the Art of Conversation, Part 2 Read More »
From Fox & Hounds: Californians have a love-hate relationship with the Initiative process. Recent surveys by PPIC show that two-thirds of voters are satisfied with the initiative process even though a majority think that special interests have too much control and an even larger majority think the wording of initiatives is “often too complicated and
A Manageable Improvement to the State Initiative Process? Read More »
Linn Davis explores sociologist Sherry Turkle’s case for more face-to-face human interaction, in the context of modern US politics.
Democracy and the Art of Conversation, Part 1 Read More »
From MassLive: Massachusetts voters who read an independently produced statement about the marijuana legalization ballot question felt better informed about the issue and more confident in their knowledge. But it is likely that few residents were even aware of the so-called “Citizens’ Statement.” Organizers of the Citizens Initiative Review pilot project, which produced the statement,
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.
Healthy Democracy receives inaugural Bridge Alliance Collective Impact Award! Read More »
Ashley Trim of the Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University writes about the challenges of the California initiative system and the unique democratic power of the Citizens Initiative Review. Via People2Power.
Making Direct Democracy Truly Democratic Read More »
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.
Guest Blog: Innovative Process Helps Voters Make Better Decisions Read More »
Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership PRESS RELEASE What: For the first time in state history, the Citizens’ Initiative Review Demonstration will bring together eligible California voters for a deliberative process to demonstrate how citizen participation can make the California Initiative more transparent, more understandable, and more independent of campaign spending.
From the Pepperdine University Graphic: The Pepperdine School of Public Policy is continuing its work from last semester on a project to make the California Initiative process more transparent for its students. Headed by Dean Pete Peterson of the Davenport Institute, the School of Public Policy intends to bring Healthy Democracy, an organization based in
School of Public Policy Gets Ready for Healthy Democracy Read More »
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.
In Italy, Voters Pay for Ballot Information – But There’s a Better Way Read More »
