A Deliberative Poll for CA's Future :: Summer 2011
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We have just completed 100 years of experimentation with the initiative in California. It was intended to empower the people to initiate the agenda for elections in which all the voters cast ballots. But the signature gathering process has itself become a barrier to the people’s agenda. What’s Next California charts a new path. Read More »
Deliberative Polling offers deep insights and a capacity to inform and engage citizens that is truly unique in today's public square. Join SPUR - the San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association - for a discussion on how deliberative polling continues to inform California's most important reform efforts. Read More »
The PBS Newshour By the People special covering the What's Next California Deliberative Poll begins airing this evening on PBS SoCal. Read More »
Yesterday at a press conference in Sacramento, What's Next California released a detailed analysis of the differences between the before and after polls. Here is what we found. Read More »
After a huge turnout at the event in Torrance, Calif. the weekend of June 24 — an unprecedented gathering covering the state's critical governance issues in-depth — the What's Next California Deliberative Poll results were released today. Read More »
After careful review and detailed tabulation of results from a larger-than-expected Deliberative Poll sample, What's Next California is pleased to announce a news conference on August 22 in Sacramento. Members of the What's Next California steering committee and representatives from the sponsoring organizations will unveil the full results and poll questionnaire. Read More »
Deliberative Poll participants share their What's Next California experiences with their local newspapers and communities. Read More »
A historic event took place in Southern California last weekend, an experiment in deliberative democracy. From June 24-26, more than 400 registered California voters descended onto Marriott South Bay Hotel in Torrance for the first ever statewide Deliberative Poll in California. Read More »
A group of more than 400 scientifically randomly sampled Californians gathered in Torrance last weekend to participate in deliberations over tax and fiscal reform; initiative process; reforming the way the legislature represents voters and reforming the way programs and services are delivered with more emphasis on local accountability and control. Read More »
I'm reflecting on my weekend spent moderating one of the small group discussions of the "What's Next California?" Deliberative Poll. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I sat down with a sample of 18 Californians who had traveled from San Diego County, Humboldt County, and many points between. Would conversation flow? Would participants be afraid to disagree? Would they be intentionally hostile and provocative? Read More »
Dubbed "The Fabulous 400" by Deliberative Poll project co-chair David Davenport, participants of the survey project wrapped up nearly three days of discussions Sunday afternoon in Torrance and headed back to their respective homes; tired but inspired. Read More »
At this weekend's "What's Next California?" deliberative poll, nearly 400 participants dug deep into the initiative process, tax policy, state/local governance and legislative representation. But as the Center for Deliberative Democracy's Jim Fishkin explains in this video, "What's Next California?" also gave participants a chance to learn from one another -- and to talk politics with Californians who bring very different views and experiences to the conversation. Read More »
After a long day of small group discussions on specific ways to improve state government in California, all 400 participants in the Deliberative Poll gathered Saturday night for a panel discussion on how the state's increasingly diverse population can work together toward that reform. Read More »
For the third and final day of the What's Next California Deliberative Poll, follow along on Twitter and use hashtag #NextCA to join the rolling converstation. Read More »
Christine O'Dwyer, a homemaker from San Diego, was not one of the most assertive voices in her Deliberative Poll discussion group Saturday morning. But she managed to get her points across, sometimes with a witty and disarming humor. Read More »
General consensus in two of the small groups was that the current initiative system is good in theory, but broken in practice. In this morning's session, deliberators focused on the problems with the initiative system and possible solutions. Read More »
Erik Kramer, a 6th grade teacher from Bakersfield, urges his fellow Californians to look at both sides of a contentious issue: cutting the state budget. Read More »
Judy Woodruff of PBS chaired a panel of six political and government experts this morning who answered questions from Californians meeting and deliberating on what changes might move California forward. Read More »
Here are photo sets from Day 1 and 2 of the What's Next California Deliberative Poll. It comes as no surprise that participants are enthusiastic, unique and completely tuned in to this weekend's proceedings. Read More »
Follow along on Twitter and use hashtag #NextCA for interesting tidbits plus blog content, videos and photos throughout Day 2. The deliberation begins! Read More »