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There’s a better way for communities to solve their problems.
It’s called a Democracy League, and it’s a simple idea:
neighbors get together, dig into local issues, and figure out real solutions.
Democracy Leagues build trust between residents and work in partnership with local government and community leaders to turn ideas into action.
It’s not a club or a committee. It’s more like a habit.
Less fighting. More fixing.
The usual tools of debates and elections aren’t helping us tackle our toughest challenges. The loudest voices dominate, trust between residents and leaders erodes, and big problems go unsolved.
Democracy Leagues are a new kind of civic institution grounded in the oldest democratic idea: We, the People, can solve our own problems.
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Democracy Leagues are permanent civic problem-solving machines:
- year-round, not one-off
- residents work together with government and community leaders
- ideas moving from deliberation to real-world action
A new old tool: Civic Assemblies
One tool a Democracy League puts to use is the Civic Assembly. Remember that whole “government by the People” idea? This is that, but with snacks and better facilitation.
Unlike elected officials, Assembly members don’t have to answer to donors, party leaders, or the media. They’re regular people who come together to learn, deliberate, and find answers to hard problems.
It’s working, too. More than a thousand Civic Assemblies have taken place around the world in the last twenty years.
People
Civic Assemblies aren’t town halls with the usual suspects. Assembly delegates are selected by lottery to reflect the demographics and politics of the community.
To make participation possible, members receive support like stipends, childcare, meals, transportation, and translation.
Process
Assembly members learn the issue from all sides, hear from experts, and work together to understand what’s really at stake.
With trained facilitators guiding the way, they listen, deliberate, and weigh tradeoffs, building toward a broad consensus.
Power
Civic Assemblies aren’t just talk. From the start, local leaders commit to seriously considering the Assembly’s recommendations, and to explaining their decisions publicly.
Why? Because leaders who want to get things done know it’s easier when the public is your partner. And when the public is your partner, the public wants to keep you in office.
Unify Montrose: A Civic Assembly in action
In 2023, Montrose, Colorado, brought together a representative group of residents to tackle one of the city’s toughest challenges: childcare.
Over 12 weeks, they learned from experts and one another, developed real solutions, and built something bigger—a shared way to solve not just this problem, but future ones too.
Q: Is a Democracy League a good fit for your community?
A: Maybe!
As we begin to test and scale Democracy Leagues across America, we’re seeking communities that meet the following criteria:
Leaders ready to empower residents and try better ways of involving the public.
Strong and enthusiastic civic champions across community and institutional leadership.
Real challenges to tackle that people care deeply about. Solving them would make a noticeable difference.
A path to sustainability through public, philanthropic, or private support so that Civic Assemblies can keep running year-round, year after year.
Openness to innovation, not just one-off events.
Local networks to help spread the word and host gatherings.
