It was 20 years ago today… This is not just the first line of a favourite Beatles song; it also symbolizes the quiet revolution that occurred in 2006. That was the year that began the world’s second modern citizens’ assembly. The Ontario Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform sowed the seeds of a worldwide movement that… Continue reading “It was 20 years ago today….”
Category: Citizens’ Assemblies
Yukon Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
In the 2024, I was asked to help with the learning phase of the Yukon Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. Like its Ontario and BC versions, this was a demographically diverse group of citizens assembled to learn, deliberate and make recommendations on what would be the ideal electoral system for the Yukon. One member was… Continue reading Yukon Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
Who should decide if we have ranked voting in Kingston?
Mayor Paterson of Kingston recently posted an on-line poll to ask Kingstonians what they thought of the prospect of ranked ballots for municipal elections. While I think it’s a good idea for the Mayor to solicit feedback on such an important initiative, such polls can easily be hijacked by those in favour or opposed to… Continue reading Who should decide if we have ranked voting in Kingston?
Electoral Reform at the Manning Centre Conference
On February 27, I was asked to speak on a panel about electoral reform with former B.C. MLA, Nick Loenen and Conservative critic for Democratic Institutions, Scott Reid at the Manning Centre Conference in Ottawa. Nick made the case that single transferable vote would be the best option for any reform while Scott argued that there were many… Continue reading Electoral Reform at the Manning Centre Conference
My first AMA on Reddit, Wednesday, Nov. 11
I have heard about Reddit’s AMA’s (ask me anything) for some time. I always thought that they were for famous people but for reasons not known, I am hosting an AMA for the subreddit /Canadapolitics on Wednesday, November 11, from 2- 3 PM. With the new Liberal government promising that the 2015 election would be… Continue reading My first AMA on Reddit, Wednesday, Nov. 11
Recipient of Seymour Martin Lipset Award for Best Book on Canadian Politics
I was thrilled to hear that a book I co-authored along with my colleagues, Patrick Fournier, Henk Vanderkolk, R. Kenneth Carty, and André Blais was the recipient of the Seymour Martin Lipset Award for the Best Book from the Canadian Politics section of the American Political Science Association. The book is called When Citizens Decide: Lessons… Continue reading Recipient of Seymour Martin Lipset Award for Best Book on Canadian Politics
Visiting Professor at the Seaker Chan Center for Comparative Political Development
I am pleased to be the Seaker Chan Visiting Professor at Fudan University in Shanghai for May 2015. While here I will be giving lectures on Canadian politics and deliberative democracy. I will also be travelling to Chengdu to participate in a conference on local politics.
The Crick Centre & the Value of a Public Conversation
I just contributed a piece on citizens’ assemblies to the Crick Centre at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Its aim is to “study and promote the public understanding of politics” and to bridge the chasm between academics and non-academics. It’s no surprise, then that the subtitle of the Centre is “Understanding Politics” I’ve always… Continue reading The Crick Centre & the Value of a Public Conversation
Discussing Citizens’ Assemblies in Chicago
I am looking forward to meeting with the Joyce Foundation in Chicago on January 21-22 to discuss the feasibility of citizens’ assemblies on issues such as the election of governor, (s)election of judges and re-districting. Several American states, like Ohio, have commissions devoted to modernizing the state constitution. Citizens’ assemblies, followed by a referendum, may be an… Continue reading Discussing Citizens’ Assemblies in Chicago