Tom Atlee: President 3.0

Many people are waking up to how digital technology is generating new possibilities for citizen engagement in governance. And some also recognize the additional potential offered by our rapidly developing "social technologies" -- new ways for citizens to come together face-to-face for conversation and action. ...

President Obama could convene tried-and-true, jury-style citizen deliberative councils like (1) British Columbia's remarkable 2004 Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform, (2) the official Consensus Conferences used by Denmark's Parliament to evaluate new technologies, or (3) the internationally popular Citizens Juries created by the United States' own Jefferson Center. These randomly selected microcosm groups get balanced briefings about the issue they're considering. They take testimony from -- and cross-examine -- diverse expert witnesses. Then they deliberate to make recommendations they publicly announce to policy-makers, media and the citizenry.

Source: Co-Intelligence Institute

Hat tip: Peter+Trudy Johnson-Lenz

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