The IDEA Toolkit
Citizens aren't disengaged because they're apathetic. They're frustrated. Traditional town halls and other engagement methods reward the loudest voices, not the most representative ones. The result is polarization, distrust, and policymaking built on skewed inputs.
The IDEA Toolkit offers two evidence-based engagement formats, Deliberative Town Halls and Citizens' Assemblies, used by Members of Congress in the United States and by elected officials around the world. Both help public officials reconnect with the people they serve and bring authentic, informed, representative input into the policymaking process.
Deliberative Town Halls are our flagship innovation and one of the most well-proven models in the world for reconnecting representatives with their constituents. They rebuild trust and give lawmakers actionable insight into constituent opinion. They work at every stage of the policymaking process: discovering priorities, testing policy options, or gathering feedback on legislation already passed. Each event involves a representative sample of constituents, runs about an hour, and is held online to lower barriers to participation.
What Makes it Deliberative?
Five features separate a Deliberative Town Hall from a traditional one.
Representativeness. We recruit a representative cross-section of constituents and hold the event online to make it as accessible as possible.
Focus. Each event centers on a single issue. That keeps the conversation substantive and moves it past talking points.
Information. Participants receive short, non-partisan background material in advance, so they arrive with informed opinions.
Independence. A neutral third party moderates. That signals a genuine exchange rather than an infomercial, which encourages candor and trust.
Real-time participation. The elected official takes questions live and in the open, engaging constituents in a way no other form of communication can.
The Impact
Reaches beyond the usual suspects. Deliberative events recruit a representative cross-section of constituents, giving lawmakers a way to reach citizens who don't follow politics closely or who have grown disenchanted with the system. After taking part, those same citizens became more likely to vote and to join political discussions.
Produces informed conversation. Non-partisan materials in advance and a neutral facilitator in the room produce real discussion rather than talking points and simplistic arguments.
Builds trust in elected officials. Taking part significantly increased citizens' trust in and approval of the official involved.
Translates into electoral support. Four months after the event, participants were 10 percent more likely to vote for the representative who engaged with them.
A Deliberative Town Hall connects a representative group of constituents with their Member of Congress to discuss a single issue. By providing nonpartisan info in advance and using a neutral moderator, the event ensures authentic, unscripted, and transparent communication.
A Citizens’ Assembly is a deliberative democratic process in which a representative cross-section of residents convenes over several sessions to study a question, deliberates together to reach a rough consensus, and develops recommendations for decision-makers to respond to.
A Deliberative Town Hall connects a representative group of constituents with their Member of Congress to discuss a single issue. By providing nonpartisan info in advance and using a neutral moderator, the event ensures authentic, unscripted, and transparent communication.
A Citizens’ Assembly is a deliberative democratic process in which a representative cross-section of residents convenes over several sessions to study a question, deliberates together to reach a rough consensus, and develops recommendations for decision-makers to respond to.