Public Deliberation: Harvesting the Public’s Thinking

1. Public Deliberation:Harvesting thePublic’s Thinking Renée A. Daugherty, Ph.D. Professor, Dept. of Human Development & Family Science Extension Specialist -- Leadership & Educational Methods

2. Purpose of this Session Introduce the concept of public deliberation and how it can be used to address challenging community problems and public issues

3. “Without the people’s will, the people won’t.”Harry West

4. Role of Public in Policy . . . The people must be actively involved in making public judgments . . . To preserve American democracy, there is something for everyone to do – average citizens, institutions, people in positions of leadership, government officials, experts, the media – all of us Yankelovich, 1991

5. Public Problem Facts Myths* Values Public Decision Public Decision-Making Process*Wide acceptance of an idea is not proof of validity.

6. Ways to Get Public Input on Public Problems/Issues Voting Polling Debate Letters to the editor Civil disobedience Demonstrations / protests Town Halls Boycotts . . . And more, including . . .

7. Public Deliberation Weighing alternative approaches to solve challenging public problems

8. The Roots ofPublic Deliberation • Tribal decision making • New England town hall

9. Public Deliberation Methods • Deliberative forums • Study circles • Deliberative polling • Citizen juries • Conversation cafes • World cafes • Wisdom circles • Appreciative inquiry • Sustained dialogue • Tetra . . . and many others Change Handbook(2007)

10. If the only tool you have in your toolkit is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail . . . If the only tool you have in your civic engagement toolkit is __________, then everything looks like __________.

11. National Issues Forums (NIF) • Deliberative forums / deliberative dialogue • Non-partisan, non-advocacy • Nation-wide network • Issues identified each year • Issue books/videos • Local issue forums and study circles

12. Public Deliberation – Forums • A public problem • Complex, no simple answers • There is time for deliberation; not an emergency • Deliberative; different from debate or simple discussion • Structured dialogue / issue guide with 3-4 approaches • Public understanding and knowledge of issues • Learning the concerns people have • A means to make tough choices about policy directions • Wrestling priorities out of complexities

13. Public Deliberation, cont’d • A way of reasoning and talking together • Weighs the views of others • Considers consequences, costs and benefits • Challenges people to identify trade-offs • Respects the perspectives and values of others • Requires that people: • Interact peacefully. • Share knowledge and perspectives on issues. • Organize to act publicly on these issues. • A means to find common ground for action, secure commitment to work together

14. Issue Book • Issue guides • Non-partisan / non-advocacy • Booklets, place-mats, on-line • NIF creates 3-4 guides/year • Life span of several years • Format • Introduction • 3-4 approaches • Research • When you think about the issue, what concerns you? • How are you and your family being affected? • What actions would you want to see taken to address • your concerns? What actions would you personally take? • What consequences might come from the action you favor • that could adversely affect something else you consider • valuable? • nifi.org

15. What Happens in a Deliberative Forum ? • Participants & moderator in a circle (15-25 people) • Diverse participants and perspectives • Facilitated by a trained moderator and recorder • Issue guide with 3-4 approaches • 2 to 2½ hours • Opening • Deliberation of approaches • Reflections/closing • Common ground for action • Trade-offs • Understanding others’ perspectives

16. What Happens after a Deliberative Forum? • Nationally through NIF • Moderators from multiple forums report outcomes (such as common ground, trade-offs, etc.) via web • NIF prepares national reports (3 or 4 per year) • “A Public Voice” – one-hour PBS special • Presentation at National Press Club in Washington, DC • Presentation to Congress and/or staff

17. What Happens after a Deliberative Forum, cont’d • In Oklahoma or locally: • Forum outcomes compiled into a final state or local report • Report is shared: • A public community meeting • News releases • Printed materials, etc. • Public action • Connecting citizens & officeholders

18. Studies of Public Deliberation • Deliberative Forum Participants: • Come from every part of society • Reconsider their own opinions and judgments • Approach issues more realistically considering costs, consequences and trade-offs associated with policy options

19. Studies of Public Deliberation • Deliberative Forum Participants: • Reconsider & develop greater understanding for the views of others • Define their self interest more broadly • Develop greater sense of confidence in what they can do politically • Become more interested in political and social issues

20. The WetlandsA Metaphor for Civic Engagement • Natural coastal wetlands • Nuture life • Minimize the impact of storms • Communities as “political wetlands” • Minimize the impact of public problems through the authentic involvement of Oklahomans in civic life • Build human capacity • Informal gatherings as a basis for community conversations and deliberative forums • Ad hoc associations evolving into civic organizations

21. Developing a Habit ofPublic Deliberation

22. Oklahoma Partnership for Public Deliberation • Trainings: • Oklahoma Moderators and Recorders Academy • Framing Issues for Deliberation Workshop • Statewide forums & reports • Issue framing • OKdeliberates.org

23. Community Efforts • Norman / Cleveland County NIF Network • Stillwater SPEAKS (Stillwater People Expressing Attitudes and Knowledge) Slogan: ”In Search of Common Ground” • Other possible sites: • Your community?

24. Norman / Cleveland County NIF Network • Founded 2002 • Diverse committee • Deliberative habit • 2 forums twice/year • Presidential debate watch • Framed a local issue in 2005 (health of elementary-aged children in Norman Public Schools)

25. Stillwater SPEAKS:Overview and History • Founded in 2002 • Diverse committee giving their time to . . . . . . foster citizen involvement in public decision making through deliberative forums

26. Stillwater SPEAKS, cont’dProject: Moving Toward Better Health • Framework developed • 4 forums held • Report to community • 4 action committees formed

27. 2 forums 2 forums Stillwater SPEAKS, cont’dProject: State Ballot Questions

28. Stillwater SPEAKS, cont’d Project: Alcohol Issue • Mayor’s Wellness Committee, including Red Ribbon Committee • Alcohol: Controlling the Toxic Spill • 3 deliberative forums • Written report at Town Hall Meeting

29. Stillwater SPEAKS, cont’dProject: Forums at the Public Library 4-6 deliberative forums per year Goal: to develop a deliberative habit in the Stillwater area Light evening meal, followed by forum Capacity to conduct 1-3 forums concurrently on those evenings

30. Stillwater SPEAKS, cont’d Information Sharing • Brochure • Website http://fcs.okstate.edu/speak

31. So What Has Happened? • Studies conducted: • Telephone interviews with approx. 100 persons • In-depth personal interviews with 12 persons

32. Activities 21 Outreach Scholarship Conference 2005

33. Use of Public Deliberation in Everyday Life 22 Outreach Scholarship Conference 2005

34. So How About This Community/County/Organization/Campus? • What issues here might lend themselves to deliberative forums?

35. “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” --Margaret Mead