CULTURE FILES // Greeking Out
The Big Sort
To achieve true representation, we should revive the practice of sortition
by Philip Lindsay
EXCERPT //
What happens when you take 200 random Pennsylvanians, put them in a hotel for four days, and force them to talk politics?
To those accustomed to dysfunctional town halls and toxic partisan debates, this might sound like hell. But this spring, exactly such an experiment is wrapping up at the Sheraton in Philadelphia. Designed by Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab, America in One Room: Pennsylvania brings together a demographically, ideologically, and geographically representative sample of the population to review issues such as immigration, healthcare, and affordable housing that are polarizing the state legislature.
Prior to arriving, participants are surveyed on their views, just as with a traditional opinion poll. Next they receive a briefing document with balanced information and evidence-based arguments for and against various proposals, vetted by experts on all sides of the issues. Once in the room, they review the facts, consult with subject-matter experts, and deliberate on concrete proposals in large and small groups. At the end of the process, participants are once again surveyed. This tool, called a deliberative poll, isn’t some crazy new experiment: It’s a well-researched method of bridging ideological divides and helping communities reach consensus at scale. And far from being a nightmare, it might be a doorway into reinventing democracy for the 21st century.
So who are these people gathering just off Rittenhouse Square? Not the kind you would expect to see at a political meeting in Center City: They are not party or issue activists, lobbyists, or even consistent voters. Instead, they were chosen randomly, using a process called “sortition,” to represent the broader diversity of Pennsylvania: bus drivers, teachers, waiters, doctors, farmers, the unemployed. To ensure equal access, they are paid for their time and offered childcare. The goal is to recreate—as is statistically and pragmatically possible—a miniature version or mini-public of Pennsylvania, in one room.. //
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