Author(s): Mark E. Warren, Hilary Pearse
Categories: Business & Economics > Economics, Political Science > Government, Political Science > Political Ideologies
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publish date: 2008-03-03
ISBN-10: 0521885078
ISBN-13: 9780521885072
Language: English
Description: Is it possible to advance democracy by empowering ordinary citizens
to make key decisions about the design of political institutions
and policies? In 2004, the government of British Columbia embarked
on a bold democratic experiment: it created an assembly of 160
near-randomly selected citizens to assess and redesign the
province's electoral system. The British Columbia Citizens'
Assembly represents the first time a citizen body has had the power
to reform fundamental political institutions. It was an innovative
gamble that has been replicated elsewhere in Canada and in the
Netherlands, and is gaining increasing attention in Europe as a
democratic… more…
to make key decisions about the design of political institutions
and policies? In 2004, the government of British Columbia embarked
on a bold democratic experiment: it created an assembly of 160
near-randomly selected citizens to assess and redesign the
province's electoral system. The British Columbia Citizens'
Assembly represents the first time a citizen body has had the power
to reform fundamental political institutions. It was an innovative
gamble that has been replicated elsewhere in Canada and in the
Netherlands, and is gaining increasing attention in Europe as a
democratic… more…