Philosophy
The Deliberative Potential of Citizens' Assemblies in Modern Democracies
Quick fact
In Ireland, the Citizens' Assembly on abortion, composed of 99 randomly selected citizens, deliberated for months and its recommendations directly shaped the referendum that legalized abortion in 2018, showing that citizens can produce thoughtful, legitimate policy guidance.
Why this is interesting
What if a random group of ordinary citizens, not career politicians, made some of the most consequential policy decisions? Could they actually reason better than the entire electorate?