The Next Big Step: Integrating Face-to-Face

Deliberations with Web 2.0Janet D. Fiero, Ph.D.

Josh Chernila AmericaSpeaks

Campaigning Is Easy

• Many easy ways to get engaged: canvassing, phone banks, fundraisers

• Candidate interacts directly with the people

• People make their choices based on their values and their judgment of the candidate’s values & character

• There is a date certain when someone wins or someone loses

Governing is Hard

• Not clear how citizens can get engaged.

• No easy way to keep a link between the people and the President

• There is no date certain to drive decisions.

Declining Trust in Government

CITIZENS AS

1. Constituents/Customers

2. Citizens as decision-makers

Two Ways to Impact Public Trust

Changing the Way

Government Relates

to People

Strengthening Democracy Conference

Obama Memorandum on Open Government

• Transparency

• Collaboration

• Participation

AmericaSpeaks’ mission is to reinvigorate American democracy by engaging citizens in the

public decisions that most impact their lives

AmericaSpeaks Video

Tough Choices in Healthcare,

State of Maine, 2004

2 locations: Orono and Biddeford

Table Dialogue

Diverse Participants

Informed Dialogue

Facilitation & Event Support

1. Lead Facilitator

2. Area Facilitator

3. Table Facilitator

4. Floor Support• Technical

• Floor Managers

• Issue Experts

• Constituency Services

• Volunteers

1

2

3 4

1

Participatory Technology

Wireless Computers

Polling Keypads

Participatory Technology

Wireless Computers

Polling Keypads

Theme Team & Reporting

America Moving Online

Democratizing Web

Rules of Engagement

1. Diverse representation

2. Informed participation

3. Facilitated deliberation

4. Shared priorities

5. Links to action

6. Large scale meetings

7. Sustaining citizen engagement

Fully integrate citizen voices into decision making so

engagement becomes the way the community does its

public business

Long Term Goal for Deliberative Democracy

"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can

succeed."

President Abraham Lincoln

www.americaspeaks.org