Drawing on case studies of successful projects, this 2006 guide from the National League of Cities (1) explains how to educate, involve, and mobilize citizens in a variety of events and initiatives, (2) describes how communities have used democratic governance approaches to address key issues (2) builds on city strategies for accomplishing key tasks using shorter-term mechanisms, and (4) describes some of the more permanent, structural forms of democratic governance that have emerged recently. Changing the Way We Govern is an essential tool for anyone who is tired of the conflict and apathy created by old-fashioned citizen involvement methods - and who wants to tap into the full potential of citizens and public life. (continue)

Whether you work in the corporate world, a nonprofit organization, or the government sector, you are likely face the need to work with others to solve problems and make decisions on a daily basis. And you've undoubtedly been frustrated by how laborious and conflict-ridden such group efforts can be. At all levels from neighborhood block associations to boards of directors of multinational corporations, the consensus building process is highly effective in an increasingly fragmented, contentious society. In addition, the old top-down methods such as Roberts Rules of Orders often prompt more problems then they solve. (continue)

To be effective in creating societies that reflect our values and work for all of us, it helps to approach democracy-making as a learned art. As in learning any art - from ballet to basketball - it helps to break the process down to its core elements. So we've chosen ten arts of democracy, a nice round number - not with any pretense of creating an exhaustive guide. Rather, these practices seem a great place to start. They contribute to enhanced decision-making, mutual regard, and to group learning and staying-power. This 40-page guide is a companion to Frances Moore Lappé's 2006 book "Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life." It is designed for educators, group leaders, and any citizen who wants to become more powerful. (continue)

A private foundation located in San Francisco, TWI promotes open-mindedness, cross-perspective dialogue, and engaged communication to improve the process and quality of public and private decision-making. Our ultimate goals are to broaden the public conversation about the importance of critical and collaborative thinking and to link that deepened awareness to effect individual and social change. (continue)

This 50-page report expands on previous Center reports by adding an important practical tool for managers in networks: how to manage and negotiate the conflicts that may occur among a network's members. The approach they describe - interest-based negotiation - has worked in other settings, such as bargaining with unions. Such negotiation techniques are becoming crucial in sustaining the effectiveness of networks, where successful performance is defined by how well people collaborate and not by hierarchical commands. (continue)

The multifaceted challenges of contemporary governance demand a complex account of the ways in which those who are subject to laws and policies should participate in making them. This 2006 article by Archon Fung develops a framework for understanding the range of institutional possibilities for public participation. Mechanisms of participation vary along three important dimensions: who participates, how participants communicate with one another and make decisions together, and how discussions are linked with policy or public action. (continue)

Ron Thomas developed this matrix with his class on participatory planning to attempt to help clarify who's doing what AND why some effective participation methods and practitioners have not been more widely embraced by the U.S. (urban, regional, land use, transportation) planning profession. He found that there are very few truly participatory planning models, methods or practitioners, which is perpetuated by the general lack of their inclusion in the core planning curricula nationwide. (continue)

Created by Larry Dressler, author of Consensus Through Conversation, Consensus Cards bring clarity, creativity and closure to group decision-making. Group members simply raise a card to signal support for a proposal, raise concerns or offer alternatives. (continue)

Education in a Rapidly Changing Democracy: Strengthening Civic Education for Citizens of All Ages is an article by Matt Leighninger and Peter Levine, published in the October 2008 issue of The School Administrator. Below is the article’s abstract. The shifting relationship between citizens and government has special implications for public schools. How schools approach civic education isn’t just a matter of course content–it is wrapped up in how teachers and administrators view their role in the larger community. This article describes ways in which both ... (continue)

“The Recent Evolution of Democracy” is an article by Matt Leighninger, published in the Spring 2005 issue of the National Civic Review. The article discusses the increasingly large role of citizens in public decision-making in recent years, a condition which has set the stage for the development of democratic governance. To learn more about this article, go to http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ncr.79/abstract. (continue)