Arizona's 2014 Pilot Citizen Review

Welcome back!

It's official - I  have been cited as a published contributor for a Morrison Institute report on citizen engagement. Back in August, I began researching factors that attribute to individuals participating in the community. I wanted to get a closer look on what inclines particular groups of people to become active members of their communities. The findings were not altogether surprising; individuals with high(er) socioeconomic statuses are more likely to seek positions on community boards and volunteer for various activities. Moreover, these individuals are also more likely to seek positions of authority, ultimately vying for political office.

Following in the the footsteps of Colorado and Oregon, the Morrison Institute created a pilot project, titled "Citizen Initiative Review" (CIR) during September of 2014.  The idea behind this project was to gauge public opinion on a pension reform ballot initiative. Ballot initiatives are often confusing and difficult to comprehend - the majority of voters often tick off boxes without a clue of what they are endorsing or opposing. Twenty participants were selected to engage in a three and a half day deliberation over pension reform. Similar to a jury deliberation, participants did not vote on a final outcome, i.e. whether the reform should pass. Instead, all participants worked together to formulate a one-page Citizen Statement that included the pros and cons of the initiative to help other voters.

The Citizen Initiative Review intended to inform voters about a future ballot initiative, Prop 487, and did so successfully. All participants left the project feeling more informed and aware. Nevertheless, one of the key questions was whether individuals can change their opinions regarding policy issues and politics in general. Individuals generally tune out those with dissenting opinions. However, due to the format of the CIR, individuals began to listen openly to opinions that differed from their own. This resulted in mutual respect and understanding that having dissenting opinions/ideas does not mean people cannot reach a consensus on issues. Compromise is a requirement, but we can all have our voices heard? It appears unlikely that individuals will change their ideas when it comes to policy issues, however the willingness to listen has a significant impact on human relations. This is not unknown, however we often forget to see others as human.

If you are interested in finding further information regarding this pilot project, please check the Morrison Institute for Public Policy website in the coming months.