Update — Winter 2006

Now that the busy election season is over, it seems timely to provide a brief update on Common Sense California. No one doubts the continued need, and even urgency, for CSC and, with limited resources, we continue to make some progress. In particular, we want to call to your attention our next big project — a major conference on Deliberative Democracy in California to be held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, February 23-24 (until noon), 2007.

Where We Left Off Last Time

At our last major statewide meeting in Sacramento (June, 2006), we concluded that, of many good things CSC could do, we should focus on deliberative democracy in California and how that might contribute to improving governance, long-term planning and the political culture. Our board embraced working toward a citizens' assembly on political reform in the state as our first important project. With several colleagues from political reform groups at that meeting, we saw more clearly the value of collaborative efforts toward that end.

Over the past 18 months we have stayed in touch with discussions being held by several major California foundations regarding a future endeavor that they call "The Campaign for California's Future" that would attempt to work on both state fiscal policy and political reform. In August the Common Sense Board sent a letter to the foundation presidents explaining our interest in using the philosophy and techniques of deliberative democracy to help put Californians back in to a more effective role in setting the agenda for improving government in California (the substance of this letter is available here). The foundations are now working with several organizations toward some agreement as to how their Campaign might be organized and launched next year.

Collaboration with New America Foundation

We have also spent a fair amount of time meeting with political reform groups in the state, ascertaining where the most fruitful collaborations might be. We have especially focused on New California Network, Voices of Reform, and New America Foundation. Because New America Foundation has as one of its top priorities a citizens assembly on political reform in California, we have agreed to collaborate with them. Our sense is that local and regional uses of deliberative democracy would be helpful in leading up to a statewide citizens assembly, so we plan to focus on supporting and encouraging such efforts, even while backing NAF's more direct and immediate efforts toward a statewide citizens assembly. We have also come to agreement with NAF that an important first step would be to hold a couple of conferences to inform people about the potential of tools of deliberative democracy generally, and of citizens assemblies in particular. In a division of labor, we have agreed to take the lead on the first conference, on tools of deliberative democracy (including citizens assembly) and NAF will take the lead on a conference on citizens assembly later in 2007, with our support.

Conference on Deliberative Democracy for California at Pepperdine February 23-24, 2007

Citizens' assemblies and other tools of deliberative democracy (choice dialogues, public engagement, deliberative polling, etc.) are not well known, yet they would seem to hold much promise for a state in political gridlock where citizens feel alienated from their elected officials. As a result, one valuable place to start would be a conference in which those who understand and use the tools of deliberative democracy could share their ideas with California citizens and opinion leaders, with time to think through possible applications for the Golden State. Pepperdine University and Common Sense California have agreed to cosponsor such a conference — with additional support from New America Foundation — in Malibu February 23-24. We hope you will mark the dates on your calendar and look for an invitation in the next 30 days. Dr. James Fishkin, Director of the Stanford Center for Deliberative Democracy and Carolyn Lukensmeyer, founder and president of AmericaSpeaks, have agreed to keynote the conference, and invitations are out to others. We believe this could jump-start a series of activities that will be beneficial, including perhaps a statewide citizens assembly. More information on this conference is available here.

Organizational Development

Following the conference in February, we should seriously consider funding a staff person to spearhead continuing efforts on deliberative democracy in the state. Obviously this would require more than the start-up funding we have gratefully received thus far from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, the Whitman Institute, the Rosenberg Foundation, the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust and several individuals. Please feel free to share any thoughts you might have along this, or any other line.

Thank you,

David Davenport and Steve Weiner
Co-Chairs, Common Sense California