Contenu : Comparaison entre la Belgique et le Canada - Avenir du fédéralisme - Relation entre les citoyens et la politique - Expériences délibératives - Focus groupes - Cartes mentales
Citizens’ Assemblies (CAs) are flourishing around the world. Quite often composed of randomly selected citizens, CAs, arguably, come as a possible answer to contemporary democratic challenges. Democracies worldwide are indeed confronted with a series of disruptive phenomena such as a widespread perception of distrust and growing polarization as well as low performance. Many actors seek to reinvigorate democracy with citizen participation and deliberation. CAs are expected to have the potential to meet this twofold objective. But, despite deliberative and inclusive qualities of CAs, many questions remain open. The increasing popularity of CAs call for a holistic reflection and evaluation on their origins, current uses and future directions. The De Gruyter Handbook of Citizens’ Assemblies showcases the state of the art around the study of CAs and opens novel perspectives informed by multidisciplinary research and renewed thinking about deliberative participatory processes. It discusses the latest theoretical, empirical, and methodological scientific developments on CAs and offers a unique resource for scholars, decision-makers, practitioners, and curious citizens to better understand the qualities, purposes, promises but also pitfalls of CAs.
Focusing on the G1000 mini-public in Belgium, the book explores the role and legitimacy of deliberative systems in addressing democratic crises. It examines how various sites of deliberation interact within the broader political landscape, providing insights into citizen engagement and the effectiveness of participatory democracy. The analysis highlights the potential for these systems to revitalize democratic practices and offers a critical perspective on their practical implications in contemporary governance.