GID 2022

In November 2022, IDEA and its partner, the National Conference on Citizenship, convened the first Global Innovations In Democracy Parliamentary (GID) in Washington, D.C. Parliamentary delegations from Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for two days of discussions. The exchange focused on innovations in deliberative democracy and how these could help lawmakers rebuild trust in democratic institutions. 

During the exchange, Chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, Rep. David Price, spoke about the efforts of the U.S. to aid democracies around the world. Chairman Price welcomed the opportunity to hear about efforts to strengthen democracy, “not just during elections but between elections.” Other Members spoke of their efforts to engage authentically with constituents and advocate for them, despite extreme polarization and incentives to disparage democratic institutions for short-term gain. Representatives from the other delegations spoke of the challenges in their own countries and democratic innovations designed to preserve and rebuild trust in democracy.

The previous day, the Members of Parliament and their staffs as well as sponsoring civil society organizations attended a workshop hosted by American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, where they shared learnings on initiatives ranging from the Conference on the Future of Europe, online participatory budgeting in Brazil, Deliberative Town Halls, and other innovations. 

Following the events, Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, recognized GID during a meeting of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress as a great opportunity to learn about international best practices for strengthening Congress as an institution.