What are citizens’ assemblies? Maybe you’ve heard about them, but don’t really know what they are? Perhaps you’re wondering, “do citizens’ assemblies work?” Here, we set out to answer these questions, and dispel some common misconceptions.
Citizens' Assemblies are used more and more often, worldwide, to engage the public in policymaking. Their time is coming in the UK - they’re already used every day, locally and in devolved governments. Now, from across the UK political spectrum, we hear voices calling for them to be used in central government.
As this exciting idea is still new to so many, there are some misunderstandings out there about how citizens’ assemblies work in practice.
Here we bust five common myths about Citizens' Assemblies - so we can get informed, weigh up how they work, and judge their true value in enhancing democratic processes.