Introduction
In recent decades, new forms of democratic participation have emerged under the label of mini-publics, such as citizens’ juries and citizens’ assemblies. These tools, tested in many countries, are designed to complement representative democracy by creating spaces for structured, inclusive deliberation.
International experiences, such as those analyzed in the OECD report on innovative citizen participation, show that when well-designed, mini-publics can make a significant contribution to the quality and legitimacy of public decision-making.
What are mini-publics?
Mini-publics are small groups of citizens, randomly but representatively selected, tasked with deliberating on issues of public concern.
The most common formats include:
- Citizens’ juries: small groups (15–30 people) discussing an issue and formulating recommendations.
- Citizens’ assemblies: larger groups (100–150 people) meeting for weeks or months to address complex issues, such as the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on constitutional reform.
- Deliberative polls: combining opinion surveys with structured group discussions.
Core principles
The effectiveness of a mini-public depends on certain principles being respected:
- Representativeness: the group must reflect the diversity of the population (gender, age, education, geography).
- Balanced information: participants should have access to neutral, high-quality information.
- Neutral facilitation: moderators must ensure respectful and inclusive discussions (Facilitation techniques for online and offline meetings).
- Adequate time: deliberation requires enough time to explore and discuss issues in depth.
- Real impact: recommendations must have the potential to influence decision-making.
International experiences
Several countries have shown how mini-publics can shape major decisions:
- Ireland: the Citizens’ Assembly played a decisive role in referendums on same-sex marriage and abortion.
- France: the Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat brought together 150 randomly selected citizens to make proposals on climate policy.
- Canada: provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario experimented with citizens’ assemblies on electoral reform (Participedia – case studies).
These examples are widely referenced by initiatives such as the GovLab – The Governance Lab, which studies democratic innovation and collective intelligence.
When do they work (and when not)?
Mini-publics are not always effective. They work best when:
- they are connected to real decision-making processes,
- they have a clear and well-defined mandate,
- they receive political and institutional support,
- their results are communicated transparently to the wider public.
They tend to fail when:
- they remain symbolic exercises with no consequences,
- they lack transparency in their organization,
- their recommendations are ignored by policymakers,
- they are underfunded and unable to ensure inclusiveness.
Mini-publics in the digital era
Digital technologies can enhance mini-publics in several ways:
- transparent online tools can support random citizen selection,
- briefing materials can be shared via digital platforms,
- deliberations can take place in hybrid (online and offline) formats,
- outcomes can be published through open data portals and digital platforms.
As highlighted in European Commission – deliberative democracy practices, hybrid approaches are increasingly seen as key to democratic innovation.
The role of communication
Clear and accessible communication is another key factor for success. As discussed in Checklist for effectively communicating a participatory process, transparency and inclusiveness in communication help ensure that citizens see the value of deliberative initiatives.
If mini-publics are communicated only afterwards, or in overly technical terms, they risk being perceived as elite exercises. Effective communication instead builds trust and fosters broader engagement.
Mini-publics and Concorder
The Concorder platform can support mini-publics by embedding them into broader digital participation ecosystems. Its features include:
- secure authentication of participants,
- digital facilitation tools to support structured discussions,
- audit trails to ensure transparency,
- automated synthesis of contributions,
- integration with secure online voting processes.
Concorder helps amplify the impact of mini-publics, connecting them directly to transparent and inclusive decision-making processes.
Conclusion
Mini-publics and citizens’ juries are valuable tools for renewing democracy and strengthening the legitimacy of decisions. They work when they are carefully designed, well communicated, and linked to concrete policy processes. They fail when they remain isolated exercises with no real impact.
International experiences show that, combined with digital innovation, they can contribute to building a more participatory, inclusive, and deliberative democracy. Platforms like Concorder can amplify their effectiveness, ensuring that deliberation is not only symbolic but also connected to real decision-making.
