Dear collaborative discussion friends,
This week we are highlighting an activity that introduces the concept of legislative juries. This activity helps participants use their collaborative discussion skills for the purpose of reaching a decision or a specific outcome as a group.
This activity is contributed by Debra Campbell, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Mesa Community College. It is one of the many activities in the Civic Collaboration Module.
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This week's activity:
Activity 5.8 – Practicing Deliberation with Others
Practicing decision-making as a group
This activity helps participants differentiate between broad, exploratory discussion and deliberation, which is discussing with the aim of reaching a decision as a group. Participants are first introduced to the concept of legislative juries. Participants are then told that they are part of a legislative jury. If this activity is being done in a classroom, this will be a mock jury and if being done in a community setting, it could be a real one. Participants are then tasked with crafting four different ballot initiatives for the chosen topic. Participants are asked to discuss the various different possibilities in small groups and deliberate to reach a unanimous decision on the final four ballot initiatives as a group. Each group is then invited to share their final four policy options with the full group.
Prepare for the Activity
This activity can be done in the classroom or community. If it is being done in the classroom, create a mock experience that replicates how it might happen in the community or with real legislative juries.
Select a topic relevant for your group or community. Remember to offer example policy ideas using a different topic from the one selected so as to not limit participants’ imagination.
Edit the instructions shown below in the Template for Instructions to include your chosen topic and some example policy ideas for a different topic. Share these instructions as handouts, a shared document, or on a shared surface visible to whole group.
Organize participants into small groups (6-8 ppl). Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity:
Develop the ability to distinguish between exploratory discussion and deliberation.
Practice collaborative discussion skills and habits that result in decision-making and a specific outcome.
Introduce the Concept of Legislative Juries
Share this brief introduction on legislative juries with participants:
During the past thirty years, there has been a movement toward direct democracy in the form of citizen-sponsored “initiatives.” At present, 24 states allow ordinary citizens to propose and sponsor bills that are then voted upon in special or general elections. This form of direct democracy has been heavily criticized. A possible improvement to the initiative process would employ the use of randomly selected citizens to serve on “legislative juries.” The purpose of the legislative jury is to collaboratively discuss and refine possible initiatives before they are placed on the ballot. This process of citizen lawmaking would add the element of collaboration and deliberation to the initiative process and offer an improved form of direct democracy.
Share Instructions
Welcome everyone to the Legislative Jury Session. Begin the session by reading the instructions shown on the handout or shared screen.
Template for Instructions:
You have been randomly selected from a citizen list (e.g. motor vehicle registrations or voter registration rolls) to serve on this legislative jury. You have already been through extensive questioning and have agreed that you will engage in a good faith effort to deliberate on the above issue.
Your task is to formulate the language for four different possible ballot initiatives regarding the issue of [insert topic]. The four versions should vary greatly, even to the point of being diametrically opposed, in order to assure real alternatives from which to choose. For example, four (briefly stated) versions of possible initiatives on the issue of gun control could be:
Retain only the current restrictions on automatic weapons and semi-automatic weapons – no change
Restrict the sale of automatic and semi-automatic weapons by requiring rigorous background checks, annual training, and carrying insurance policies for victims of shootings.
Restrict the sale of all automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
Restrict the sale of all guns to the general public.
Break into Small Groups to Explore Possibilities and Deliberate
Invite participants to break into small groups (6-8 ppl). Ask participants to elect one member of their group as the foreperson. That person will preside over the deliberations of the jury.
Next, instruct each group to explore possible ballot initiatives and decide on the final four. If possible, highlight skills or habits learned via other toolkit activities (for example, encourage participants to think boldly (Activity 2.8), imagine stakeholders (Activity 5.2), build on the ideas of others (Activity 2.6), surround the topic (Activity 3.5), etc.).
The group must unanimously support the final four options.
Facilitator Tip: Encourage participants to change their opinions if the discussion persuades them. It is important to reach a consensus, but, of course, only if each person can do so after having made their own conscientious decision.
Share Policy Options with the Full Group
Invite each small group to share their final four policy options with the full group. Keep track of the policy ideas on a flip chart, shared document or other shared surface visible to everyone.
Facilitator Tip: As each group shares their policy possibilities, be sure to organize them according to theme (not just a list from each group).
Debrief as a Full Group
Review the policy options generated by all the groups and discuss:
Where is there overlap?
Where are there outlier or radical proposals?
Which proposals seem most interesting? Most plausible?
What would happen if citizens were more involved and invested in the legislative process?
In addition to these debriefing questions, the full description of Activity 5.8 Practicing Deliberation with Others includes reflection questions, a practice journal prompt, and additional resources to help participants dive deeper.
Dive Deeper by Clustering Activities Together
Activity 5.8 can be done together with Activity 2.8 Encouraging Bold Imagination and Activity 5.7 Practicing Collaboration with Others. Activity 2.8 helps participants stretch their creative muscle and think outside of the box. It uses the frame of telling the history of the future to encourage participants to imagine an ideal future and trace the steps that would need to occur to make this ideal future a reality. Participants are thereby able to identify the positive potential in the present that can be the bridge to a better future. Activity 5.7 also helps participants explore possibilities together through tactile play using LEGOs. Participants listen to proposals for initiatives for change or solutions regarding a particular issue, discuss and share their own ideas in response, all while collaboratively building their ideal city or town together out of LEGOs. Activities 2.8, 5.8 and 5.7 introduces participants to different methods or techniques that facilitate or enhance collaborative discussion to help them explore possibilities or deliberate to reach a specific outcome.
If you try out this activity, please share with us what you think:
We hope this toolkit activity helps participants practice using their collaborative discussion skills to deliberate with others in order to reach a common decision or a specific outcome.
Looking forward to collaborating,
Ritu Thomas & the Collaborative Discussion Team