Prepared for Culver City Deliberative Poll
The Deliberative Democracy Lab at Stanford University is a leader in the field of deliberative democracy, not only in deliberation research but also in implementation and policy impact.
Under DDL’s guidance, Mongolia passed the 2017 Law on Deliberative Polling, which mandated the convening of a national Deliberative Poll for any constitutional amendment. Mongolia has since convened two national Deliberative Polls; in both cases, Parliament has followed the deliberative results to amend its constitution. Results from Deliberative Polls alleviate polarization, moderate opinions, and produce lasting effects on policy opinions, voting intention, and mutual respect.
What is Deliberative Poling? what-is-deliberative-polling.pdf Deliberative Polling is a unique methodology of public engagement that aims to provide a more informed and considered view of public opinion on complex policy issues. It was developed by political scientist James S. Fishkin in 1988 and has since been used in over 50 countries and implemented over 150+ projects.
Here are the key aspects of Deliberative Polling:
1. Random sampling: A representative sample of the population is randomly selected to participate in the process.
2. Initial polling: Participants are surveyed on their opinions about the issue at hand before the deliberative process begins.
3. Briefing Materials/Videos: Participants receive balanced and comprehensive briefing materials on the topic, prepared by experts from various perspectives.
4. Small group discussions (either online or in-person): Participants engage in moderated small group discussions to explore the issue in depth, share their views, and consider different perspectives.
5. Expert panel Q&A: Participants have the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of experts representing different viewpoints on the issue.
Steps 4 and 5 would iterate depending on the number of topics to be discussed.
6. Final polling: After the deliberative process, participants are surveyed again to measure how their opinions may have changed.
The main goals of Deliberative Polling are to:
1. Show what public opinion might look like if people were more informed and had the opportunity to critically engage with an issue.
2 2. Provide policymakers with a more nuanced understanding of public preferences on complex issues.
3. Encourage more thoughtful and considered public engagement in democratic processes. 4. Identify how opinions may shift when people have access to more information and diverse perspectives.
Map of Deliberative Polling Locations
Examples of Past Deliberative Polls
1) America in One Room (A1R) 2019 was a landmark national experiment in deliberative democracy
organized
by
the
Stanford
Deliberative
Democracy
Lab
,
Helena,
and
By
the
People
Productions.
It
brought
together
a
representative
sample
of
526
registered
voters
from
across
the
U.S.
for
a
multi-day
discussion
in
September
2019.
Participants
engaged
in
civil
discourse
on
major
political
issues
ahead
of
the
2020
election,
including:
Immigration,
Healthcare,
Economy
&
Taxes,
Environment
and
Foreign
Policy.
CNN: Here's what happened when 526 people talked politics (CNN) The national Deliberative Poll demonstrated reduction in partisan polarization by fostering informed
discussions.
Surveys
before
and
after
the
event
showed
significant
opinion
shifts
,
with
participants
moderating
their
views
and
gaining
more
understanding
of
opposing
perspectives.
The
event
demonstrated
how
structured,
respectful
conversations
can
help
bridge
political
divides
in
a
deeply
polarized
society.
3 2) The Law on Deliberative Polling® in Mongolia was passed in 2017, making Mongolia the
first
country
in
the
world
to
require
a
Deliberative
Poll
before
any
constitutional
amendment
.
This
groundbreaking
legislation
institutionalized
citizen
deliberation
as
a
core
part
of
Mongolia’s
democratic
process.
Video: Deliberative Democracy in Mongolia
2017 National Deliberative Poll:
In 2017, Mongolia broke new ground by conducting its first national Deliberative Poll, focusing on
proposed
constitutional
reforms.
The
process
involved
669
randomly
selected
Mongolian
citizens
who
engaged
in
discussions
on
critical
issues
such
as
the
decentralization
of
power,
judicial
independence,
and
government
accountability.
This
deliberative
exercise
proved
highly
influential,
resulting
in
notable
shifts
in
public
opinion.
Following
the
deliberations,
there
was
a
marked
increase
in
support
for
reforms
aimed
at
enhancing
government
transparency,
strengthening
local
governance,
and
bolstering
judicial
independence.
This
landmark
event
demonstrated
the
power
of
informed
public
deliberation
in
shaping
attitudes
towards
complex
political
issues
and
highlighted
the
potential
of
deliberative
polling
as
a
tool
for
democratic
engagement
in
Mongolia.
2023 National Deliberative Poll:
Building on the success of its inaugural effort, Mongolia conducted its second National Deliberative
Poll
in
2023,
in
accordance
with
the
law
established
in
2017.
This
poll,
focused
on
potential
further
constitutional
amendments,
adhered
to
the
same
structured
deliberative
process
as
its
predecessor.
By
doing
so,
Mongolia
ensured
that
citizen
voices
played
a
direct
and
informed
role
in
shaping
proposed
constitutional
changes
before
they
were
presented
to
the
government
for
consideration.
This
commitment
to
incorporating
Deliberative
Polling
into
its
legal
framework
has
positioned
Mongolia
as
a
global
leader
in
deliberative
democracy.
The
nation's
approach
serves
as
a
compelling
example
of
how
informed
citizen
engagement
can
be
effectively
integrated
into
constitutional
decision-making
processes,
potentially
offering
a
model
for
other
countries
seeking
to
enhance
their
democratic
practices.
3) America in One Room: Climate and Energy (2021) was the largest deliberative experiment
on
climate
and
energy
ever
conducted
in
the
U.S.
Organized
by
the
Stanford
Deliberative
Democracy
Lab
and
its
partners,
the
event
gathered
a
nationally
representative
sample
of
962
Americans
to
discuss
climate
and
energy
policy
in-depth.
Participants
engaged
in
small-group
discussions,
plenary
sessions
with
experts,
and
completed
surveys
before
and
after
deliberation
to
measure
shifts
in
opinion.
A
separate
control
group
of
671
Americans
,
who
did
not
deliberate,
was
used
for
comparison.
The
findings
showed
that
access
to
balanced
information
and
structured
discussion
led
to
bipartisan
shifts
toward
stronger
climate
action
,
with
participants
across
political
lines
supporting
significant
measures
to
reduce
greenhouse
gas
emissions
and
transition
to
clean
energy.
4 Congressional Representatives Webinar:
America in one Room | Webinar | December 1, 2021
The deliberation produced notable changes in opinion on key climate policies. On 66 of the 72 issues discussed, participants moved toward greater climate action, including stronger support for renewable energy, carbon pricing, and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Republicans, who were initially more skeptical, showed increased support for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding renewable energy, and slowing deforestation.
Democrats, meanwhile, became more open to including nuclear energy in the future energy mix. Despite some remaining partisan divides—especially on policies with strict deadlines—majorities across party lines supported a bipartisan, economically sustainable transition to Net Zero, emphasizing the need for state flexibility, job protection, and cost minimization for low- and middle-income Americans.
Participants overwhelmingly valued the deliberative process, with 91% calling the event helpful in clarifying their views and 75% stating they "learned a lot about people very different from me." Knowledge on climate issues increased significantly, with correct answers on climate-related questions rising from 62% to 78%. The event demonstrated that deliberation can bridge political divides, fostering greater consensus on climate solutions when citizens engage with balanced information and diverse perspectives. The America in One Room:
Climate and Energy project offers a powerful model for enhancing democratic decision-making on complex policy challenges.
Proposal for Culver City Deliberative Poll
1. Randomly select 200 Culver City residents representative of the City. The sample size is necessary to reach statistical significance and to enable generalizability of the results.
2. Engage the participants in at least three online Deliberative Polls that coincide with the relevant budget meetings to allow participants to shadow and observe.
3. Culminate in one in-person Deliberative Poll where all 200 participants will gather to deliberate for one-day.
4. At each stage, the Deliberative Democracy Lab (DDL) at Stanford University will provide interim reports, both quantitative and qualitative to synthesize the participants’ deliberations.
5. At the final in-person deliberation, DDL will provide a final report, both quantitative and qualitative, to provide actionable insights.
Draft Budget
Number of Participants 200
Number of Small Groups 20
Participant Recruitment 64000
Participant Incentives 80000
5 Participant Additional Funds Support 8000 Small Group Moderators (for 1 in-person delineration) 4000 Printed Materials 3000 Stanford Online Deliberation Platform (3 online deliberations) 12000 In-person Deliberation Food/Beverages 8800 Stanford DDL: We can include in the DDL Fee: Sampling Strategy, Pre and Post Survey, Briefing Materials and Video, AI Text Analysis Platform. Final Reporting and Analysis, Personnel 50000 Culver City Costs 20,000 Total 249800
Deliberative Polling for
culver city’s budgeting
challenges
James Fishkin
Stanford Professor
Director, Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab
Alice Siu
Associate Director, Stanford
Deliberative Democracy Lab
Senior Research Scholar, Stanford
Center for Democracy,
Development, and Rule of Law
What would the
people think
under good
conditions for
thinking about
any issue?
3 Problems with Public Opinion
Rational Ignorance
Phantom Opinions
Communication with like-minded
Poll 1
Recruitment
Balanced
Briefing
Materials
Small Group Deliberations
Expert Plenary Sessions
Poll 2
What is Deliberative Polling?
50+ Countries/Jurisdictions, 130+ projects
7 July 19-22, Washington DC
First-ever gathering of nationally representative sample of 18 year olds eligible voters
● 438 participants from 50 states
● In Washington, DC for 4 days
● Topics:
○ Healthcare
○ Economy, AI, and Taxes
○ Environment
○ Democracy and Elections
Poll 1
Recruitment Balanced
Briefing
Materials
Small Group DeliberationsExpert Plenary Sessions
Poll 2
Repeated 4x
Deliberative Polling® Methodology
14 Perceptions on
State of Democracy
2019
2023
How Republicans Softened Their Views on Immigration
Some positions that were most altered by discussions with people of other viewpoints. 2019
The Limits of Liberalism?
Democrats lost enthusiasm for some potentially costly
government programs.
2019
Reducing Affective Polarization
AI-assisted Stanford Online Deliberation Platform
100,000+ hours of deliberation
40+ countries
35+ languages
Features include:
• Speaking Queue
• Timed Agenda
• Real-time transcripts
• Offensive Language Detection
• Nudges to join discussions and
consider arguments
• Designed based on Deliberative
Polling®, 30+ years of experience
• 150+ projects in 50+ countries
• Online and In-person results are comparable
• high participant evaluations
• significant opinion changes
• equity of participation
• building trust and empathy
Outcomes from the
Stanford Online Deliberation Platform
- Significant opinion changes comparable to in-person
deliberations
- Participants become more empathetic
- Willingness to listen to the other side
- Willingness to learn from others
- Decrease in political and affective polarization
- American Political Science Review: Is Deliberation an Antidote to Extreme Partisan Polarization? Reflections on “America in One Room”
- Michigan Journal: How College Students Can Depolarize:
Evidence for Political Moderation Within Homogeneous Groups - Desire for more engagement and sustained participation - Request to stay in contact with groups
- Exchange of social media handles and emails
deliberation.stanford.edu