Why It’s Time to Make Deliberative Engagement a Civic Duty

Imagine a community where your voice isn’t just heard—it’s required. Not because you’re protesting. Not because you’re petitioning. But because it’s your civic duty, just like showing up to serve on a jury when called.

We trust ordinary citizens—builders, bakers, teachers, teenagers, retirees—to sit in judgment on life-altering criminal cases. We summon them at random, pay them modestly, and ask them to spend days or even weeks absorbing evidence, discussing carefully, and making decisions that carry the full weight of the law.

And we do this because we believe in something profound:

That everyday people, when given the time, the information, and the space, can make wise, fair, and democratic decisions.

So here’s the question:

If we trust citizens to judge murder cases, why don’t we trust them to shape the future of their own communities?

Reimagining Democracy: Mandatory Deliberative Engagement

Let’s take a leap. Let’s treat deliberative engagement—such as citizens’ juries and community assemblies—with the same seriousness as the judicial jury system.

That means:

• Random selection from the community (a civic lottery)

• Mandatory participation (with opt-outs for hardship, conflicts of interest, or reasonable exemptions)

• Support structures: payment for time, childcare, accessible venues, and facilitation

• Clear purpose: focus on real, pressing local issues—planning, infrastructure, budgets, climate action, housing, and more

It’s not about everyone turning into political experts. It’s about everyday people, deliberating with dignity on decisions that affect them and their neighbours.

Why It Matters Now

We live in a time of political fatigue. Social division. Mistrust in leadership.

And councils are stuck between compliance and crisis.

Consultation has become transactional.

Surveys skim the surface.

Anger rises.

Hope thins.

But deliberative processes, when done well, rebuild trust.

They create moments of surprising wisdom, deep connection, and shared ownership of complex issues.

They model what democracy was meant to be: not noisy, not performative—but thoughtful, inclusive, and courageous.

A Simple Proposal: One Shire, One Trial

We don’t need sweeping legislation to start. We just need one council brave enough to pilot the model.

Let’s begin with a small rural shire or local council. Test a 12-month mandatory deliberation program:

• Each citizen called up once every 3–5 years

• Citizens’ assemblies held quarterly on key issues

• Flexible scheduling and exemption processes

• Transparent tracking of outcomes and policy influence

Let’s study the impact. Measure the trust. Share the lessons.

Let it ripple.

What We’d Be Saying to the Community

We’d be saying:

“You matter. You’re not a passive voter or a customer.

You’re a co-author of this place.

Your wisdom is not optional. It’s needed.

And we’ll meet you halfway—with structure, support, and respect.”

From Civic Duty to Civic Renewal

We already know that good engagement can change minds.

Now it’s time to let it change systems.

Let’s move beyond the question of whether communities should be engaged—and start acting like it’s a core pillar of democracy, as essential as roads, waste collection, and justice.

Because when every voice is part of the process, every outcome feels more like home.