Happening tomorrow: What does the evidence actually say about citizens' assembly impact? 66 studies. Five continents. What are CAs changing for people, communities, and governments -- and what conditions make the difference? 🧵👇

Over 1,000 Citizens’ Assemblies have been held worldwide since 2004. But what actually happens after the recommendations are delivered — to policy, to communities, and to the people who participated? Join seasoned researchers for a conversation about the latest findings and lessons learned.

1,000 Citizens’ Assemblies Later, What’s Changed? — People Powered

Join us to learn why some assemblies deliver real impact, and others don’t. And what we've learned about effective advocacy and assembly design.

peoplepowered.org

🎓 What happens when students help shape campus policy? At Hunter College, 36 randomly selected students spent two months deliberating ways to reduce campus waste through one of New York State’s first university Citizens’ Assemblies. 📰 Learn more: nysfocus.com/2026/06/12/n...

This NYC College Is Using a 'Citizens Assembly' to Cut Its Trash

Students at CUNY's Hunter College aim to cut campus waste through a citizens assembly, a democratic model that's gaining traction in New York.

nysfocus.com

Good Governance: DSG Leaders Learn From Europe’s Democratic Innovators

#europeancommission | FIDE – North America

Good Governance: DSG Leaders Learn From Europe’s Democratic Innovators On May 21-24, the Deliberative State Governance cohort of bipartisan state leaders, including KY Secretary of State Michael G. A...

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Only two days left to register for "America at 250" This Thursday, May 28, join our Executive Director, Marjan Ehsassi, in conversation with fellow experts, Larry Diamond and Paul Brown, about the innovations that can bring the people's voice more meaningfully into public consultation.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: America at 250: Do Americans Think We Are Fulfilling the Founders' Vision?. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webin...

Generations of Americans have grown up with the Founders' vision of a government that serves the common good, guided by the will of the people. As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, how wel...

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Hot off the presses - Read all about our efforts and our partners in the Guardian 🗞️

Elected officials don’t always understand their communities. Can civic assemblies bridge the gap?

US cities are turning to randomly selected residents to help resolve divisive policy debates

theguardian.com

What can European leaders shaping the field of democratic innovation teach America about putting theory into practice? Meet the experts who will be presenting on Citizens' Assemblies to our cross-partisan Deliberative State Governance cohort. More on DSG here: www.fidemocracy.org/deliberative...

Thank you ICMA for having us at the #LGReimagined Conference in Philadelphia on Wednesday! Grateful to our partners from City of Dayton for lending your experience, and to all the participants who came to listen. Want to learn how a Citizens’ Assembly could help your city? Let us know!

We are honored to announce the members of FIDE - North America's 2026 Deliberative State Governance cohort! As the most senior state-level delegation to convene on Citizens' Assemblies in the US, our bipartisan cohort reflects a growing nationwide commitment to new models of public engagement.

Deliberative State Governance 2026 Cohort | FIDE – North America

We are honored to announce the members of FIDE - North America's 2026 Deliberative State Governance cohort! We founded DSG with one goal in mind: to share with state leaders the value of Citizens’ Ass...

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Spreading awareness about Citizens’ Assemblies and their impact can feel like a daunting task when so many have never heard of them before. Unify America’s new video makes it easy. A valuable resource for anyone working in the field!

#civicassembly #deliberativedemocracy #howitsmade | Unify America

Most Americans have never heard of a civic assembly. Which is a shame, because they work. A civic assembly brings together a representative group of people, shares balanced information from experts, ...

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"When democracy feels this inviting, it transforms people.”  Congratulations to our longstanding colleague and friend, Hélène Landemore, on her guest essay for the New York Times, “No Shy Person Left Behind.” An excellent meditation on how Citizens’ Assemblies make equal room for every voice.

Opinion | No Shy Person Left Behind

nytimes.com

This past Saturday, we celebrated our 2nd birthday! Thank you to our incredible collaborative team of friends, board members, advisors, partners and colleagues who work tirelessly to create a positive impact in the field of Deliberative Democracy.

Happy Launch Day, FIDE - North America! This past Saturday, we celebrated our 2nd birthday! Since our formation 2 years ago, our organization has grown exponentially, building an incredible… | FIDE –...

Happy Launch Day, FIDE - North America! This past Saturday, we celebrated our 2nd birthday! Since our formation 2 years ago, our organization has grown exponentially, building an incredible collabora...

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Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, April 28th, our Executive Director, Marjan Ehsassi, will be speaking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as part of the The Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies’ CommUnity Conference. Attend virtually or in person: lnkd.in/gVNE2AJ9

Between May - October of 2025, the Boulder Valley Community Assembly convened 48 residents to deliberate and provide recommendations for the implementation of 15-minute neighborhoods. FIDE - North America was proud to offer technical guidance and act as lead evaluator. Read our full report below!

Friends and colleagues in NYC, Columbia World Projects, the NYC Civic Engagement Commission, New America, and FIDE – North America invite you to a one-of-a-kind event with Peter MacLeod and Hélène Landemore. 📅 April 27, 6:00–7:30PM 📍 The Forum at Columbia University 🔗 Register below

Fixing Our Democracies

What if everyday people had a real say in the decisions that shape their communities?

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Can dialogue lead to real change on college campuses? Friends and colleagues in NYC, please join us alongside The Trust Collaboratory, Columbia's Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program to explore how a Citizens' Assembly could be developed and applied at Columbia.

From Dialogue to Action - Exploring Democratic Deliberation on Campus · Luma

Can dialogue lead to real change on campus? Join us for an interactive session with Dr. Marjan Ehsassi, Executive Director of the Federation for Innovation in…

luma.com

Introducing our inaugural Monitoring & Evaluation Fellow, Lindsay McMahon! Using FIDE — North America’s Theory of Change, she will create the rubric by which we will measure Citizens’ Assemblies across the continent. Welcome to the team, Lindsay! We can't wait to share your findings with the world.

There's still time to register! Join us alongside the Central Oregon Civic Action Project, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, and Healthy Democracy on April 7–9, 2026 for a 2.5-day Civic Assembly training and design workshop.

Registration - Central Oregon Civic Action Project

REGISTRATION FOR COCAP CIVIC ASSEMBLY WORKSHOP

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Last January, we convened 25 implementers of Citizens’ Assemblies from across the US and Canada. This event, Wisdom of the Crowds, was the first of its kind - for implementers, with implementers, about implementation. Read our report expanding on the ensuing discussions and proposals here:

Akron knows how to launch a Civic Assembly with style! Last Friday, residents, community leaders, and city officials attended the opening ceremony of Akron’s first ever Assembly, focused on housing. FIDE - North America is a proud technical advisor and lead evaluator.

FIDE - North America is a proud member of the Advisory Board and lead evaluator for the City of Dayton's first ever Citizens' Assembly. On March 11, Dayton City Commissioners met with the Assembly organizers to learn more. Read all about it and watch the Work Session in full here:

For the past few months, FIDE - North America has been working closely with City of Dayton staff providing technical guidance and as a proud member of the Advisory Board and lead evaluator in… | FIDE ...

For the past few months, FIDE - North America has been working closely with City of Dayton staff providing technical guidance and as a proud member of the Advisory Board and lead evaluator in anticipa...

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Thank you to the City of Richmond and PlanRVA for hosting FIDE - North America’s workshop last week, Citizens’ Assemblies 101, covering what Citizens’ Assemblies can offer and best practices for implementation. Read our report all about the workshop and takeaways: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Calling all innovators interested in Citizens' Assemblies and democratic reform! FIDE - North America is recruiting a part-time Innovation Fellow. This is a paid, part-time, hybrid position based in Washington, DC. Find more details and fill out our application here: forms.gle/9mMYUTQbSpFP...

On February 18th, FIDE - North America’s new Deliberative State Governance initiative launched its inaugural workshop, the most senior level convening on Citizens’ Assemblies ever in the United States! Read all about it here:

On February 18th, FIDE - North America’s new Deliberative State Governance initiative launched its inaugural workshop, the most senior level convening on Citizens’ Assemblies ever in the United… | FID...

On February 18th, FIDE - North America’s new Deliberative State Governance initiative launched its inaugural workshop, the most senior level convening on Citizens’ Assemblies ever in the United States...

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In a rapidly changing world, Citizens' Assemblies can provide the key to bridging the gap between the government and the people they represent. Read more about Snohomish County's upcoming Citizens' Assembly AI policy, our role as ongoing technical advisor and evaluator.

Editorial: Help the county write rules for AI’s robots | HeraldNet.com

A civic assembly of 40 volunteers will be asked to draft policy for AI use in county government.

heraldnet.com

Congratulations to @petermacleod.bsky.social and Richard Johnson on the release of their excellent new book, Democracy's Second Act: Why Politics Need the Public. A timely and elegant must-read for anyone interested in democratic reform. We just received our copies. Order yours!

Our Deliberative State Governance (DSG) initiative’s inaugural workshop is right around the corner! Take a peak at the incredible leaders speaking next week on citizens’ assemblies and building partnerships between policy makers and the people. And stay tuned for more announcements very soon... 👀

| FIDE – North America

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What is the secret to long-lasting, sustainable, systemic change? FIDE — North America decided to try and find out. After consulting experts and opening our findings up for public review, we finally have a working Theory of Change - the first of its kind. Read about our process and findings here!

A Theory of Change for Citizens’ Assemblies to Guide Our Democratic Reform Work in 2026

FIDE - North America advances a democratic culture that is inclusive, responsive, deliberative and holds government accountable in between elections. Committed to a democratic process through systems ...

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“When we have great facilitation and education, when we have time to talk to each other - and not at each other - good things can happen.” Agreed! Check out this week's episode of Dayton City Radio's podcast, “Birthplace of Next,” to learn about our latest Citizens’ Assembly.