Latest Tools for Strengthening Local Democracy:

From Model Ordinances to Online Games

NLC Congress of Cities

Leadership Training Institute

Boston, MA

November 28, 2012

Agenda

Introductions and overview

Discussion: What is one strategy or principle that seems to work for you when you do public engagement?

Better legal frameworks for participation

Break

Games and online engagement

Planning for stronger local democracy

What questions are we trying to answer?

How can we make public discourse more civil? How can we make public discourse more fun? How can we

make public discourse more productive?

Making public discourse productive:

What are the tried-and-true tactics?

Recruit a diverse critical mass of people Good information Structured

discussions Deliberative

(range of views) Action-oriented Online and f2f

Strengths of quality public engagement

Good for: Making policy decisions, plansCatalyzing citizen actionBuilding trustFostering new leadership

Limitations of quality public engagement (as we practice it today)

Lots of work for temporary gain Inefficient – every organization on its own Community moves back to ‘politics as usual’ ‘Engagers’ set the agenda, not the ‘engaged’ Limited impact on equity Trust, relationships fade Laws on participation out

of step with practices

Building blocks for civic infrastructure:

Resources

www.nlc.org www.deliberative-democracy.net www.nicd.org http://engagementgamelab.org www.everydaydemocracy.org www.participedia.net www.publicagenda.org www.kettering.org

Slides available at:www.slideshare.net/mattleighninger

Guides:http://bit.ly/M1pvMp

http://bit.ly/iwjgqn