This is the next in a series of posts on how to make our
democracy work better based on an article in The Intelligent Optimist magazine
(formerly Ode) by Tom Atlee.
“Speaking personally, I am one of the millions of citizens
who just can’t keep track of the hundreds of issues and proposals. I am tired
of the political spin and partisan battles that confuse me about what’s really
going on and what’s at stake. I often yearn for groups like these citizen
mini-publics to advise me on all the issues I read about and vote on. I long
for them to have a powerful role in our society’s official decision making.
“I imagine what it would be like to have this informed,
thoughtful voice of the people present in all our public discourse, speaking
not just to citizens like me but powerfully to politicians, pundits, corporations
and public officials.
“How different it would be to have members of such a panel,
when they have completed their work, appear on talk shows to discuss what they
came up with and what it was like to learn about the issue, talk with each
other and act!
“How risky it would be for a talk show host to act like a
jerk with them. They wouldn’t be like
other guests. The talk show host would be in conversation with We the
People—and in a democracy, you don’t mess with an authentic, powerful We the
People!”
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