The New York Times Athens Democracy Forum 2017
SMH: How can we do democracy better?
Australia has just conducted “probably our boldest electoral experiment since the military conscription plebiscites of 1916 and 1917”, in the words of Liberal Senator Dean Smith, the author of the private member’s bill that will now carry the result of the marriage plebiscite into law. “At a time when public faith in political institutions is...Continue reading
newDemocracy Foundation R&D: September 2017 Research Newsletter
Welcome to the September issue of our research newsletter. In this issue, we revisit our largest ever project in the South Australia Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engagement Jury. We look at what worked well, what didn’t work, and look to areas of improvement for taking citizens’ juries into the future. This is a must read for those interested in any...Continue reading
Iain Walker: We can do democracy better
This piece is a reflection by Iain Walker, Executive Director of Australia’s newDemocracy Foundation and a guest at a recent PACE member gathering. The message I share is well-worn and I can roll into reformist evangelism when first woken if need be. I’ve delivered it to senators and skeptical TV audiences with a smile. Yet...Continue reading
Views from a former Deputy-Chief of Staff: Innovation in Democracy
Recently, Matt Ryan, former Deputy-Chief of Staff to South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, spoke at an event in Spain organised by the Regional Government of Gipuzkoa, a region in the Basque Country in northern Spain. The government has established an agenda entitled “Etorkizuna Eraikiz” or “Building the Future” which explicitly links the future prosperity of...Continue reading
Nicholas Reece: It’s healthy for people to have a greater say
September 12, 2017 The arrival of 16 million same-sex Marriage Law Survey forms in post boxes from today is more than just a historic moment in the campaign for marriage equality. It is also the first time in 18 years that Australian voters have been given the chance to “vote” directly on an issue — rather...
Learnings from South Australia’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Jury
Lyn Carson – Research Director, The newDemocracy Foundation What is the question? In 2016, newDemocracy had oversight of a massive public deliberation in South Australia on the extremely contentious issue of nuclear waste storage. It was our biggest project to date. Any journey into the unknown is a rich site for learning, and this project...
Group Diversity Trumps Individual Ability
Lyn Carson – Research Director, The newDemocracy Foundation What is the question? When assembling a randomly-selected group of people, for example in a citizens’ jury (see, Sample Size for mini-publics), what attributes are most important for the group members if they are to handle complex matters? What are the usual answers? This question is...
Benefits of the Jury Model
David Schecter – Associate R&D Director, The newDemocracy Foundation What is the question? Why use the jury model of random selection and deliberation? Why would public officials want to incorporate the jury model into public decision making? What are the benefits of the jury model, compared to the usual forms of public engagement?
Our Winter 2017 Newsletter
Welcome to our latest update on the pursuit of a better democracy. It has been a busy winter for newDemocracy. Projects are concluding and foundations are being laid for large projects to come. We’ve seen a flurry of international events from Athens to San Francisco. We’ve featured in The Australian, been developing our platforms for interaction, and widening our channels of influence....Continue reading