Sorted :C i vicLotte riesandtheFutureofPubli cParticipationOlive rDowlenIn t roduc tionbyMichael MacKen zieandPete rMacLeodn.1

In 2004 and 2006, two major democraticexperiments took place in Canada’s firstand third most populous provinces. Twoyears later, this pamphlet explores theimpact of Ontario and British Columbia’sfirst Citizens’ Assemblies by examiningthe premise on which each assemblywas based: the use of sortition, or a“civic lottery” to select citizens to partici-pate in a binding public process.By examining the use of civic lotteriest h rough history –a tradition that re m a i n sat the core of our judicial system –t h i spamphlet explains how sortition can lowerthe barrier to political participation andextend a meaningful new franchise to citi-zens wishing to serve their communities. Against a backdrop of institutional andpolitical stagnation,

Sorted: Civic lotter- ies and the future of public participation

makes the case for reviving a neglecteddemocratic tradition –one that works inpartnership with existing institutions andelected legislators to create a more pow-erful and direct role for citizens.Just as public opinion became essentialto governance in the 20th century, inno-vative forms of public engagement areessential in the 21st. MASS LBP under-stands this. They are shaping the nextgeneration of thinking and working toreconnect people and politics.–Michael Adams, founding pre s i d e n t ,E n v i ronics and author of

Sex in the Snow,F i re and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Va l u e s

a n d

Unlikely Utopia: The Surprising Tr i u m p hof Canadian Pluralism.

MASS LBP is reinventingpublic consultationmasslbp.comISBN 978-0-9811005-0-0

Sorted :C i vicLotte riesandtheFutureofPubli cParticipationOlive rDowlenIn t roduc tionbyMichael MacKen zieandPete rMacLeod

n.1

MASS LBP is a new kind of companythat works with visionary governmentsand corporations to deepen and improvepublic consultation and engagement.We design impartial and fully transparentpublic learning processes that buildawareness, consensus and insight.MASS LBP provides an unparalleledrange of consultation and engagementservices for government, corporate andnot-for-proﬁt clients. From conceptionto execution to evaluation, MASS LBPdelivers highly innovative engagementstrategies that increase public under-standing, legitimacy and support.Our services include:•comprehensive process design anddelivery – from 20 to 200+ participants•strategic advice, analysis and recom-mendations concerning effectivepublic engagement and stakeholderconsultation•corporate and public needsassessment•program evaluation and analysis•custom research and dissemination•facilitation and learning•public communications and curriculumdevelopment•event coordination and logisticsWe regularly make presentations to audi-ences about our work concerning thefuture of responsible government, publicsystems design and civic engagement.We also offer seminars and related pro-gramming to clients on many of thesethemes.Inspired by Canada’s ﬁrst Citizens’ Assemblies, MASS LBP was founded in2007 by Peter MacLeod and GeorgeGosbee to extend this model andreinvent public consultation.MASS LBP is based in Toronto, withassociates in Vancouver, Ottawa andLondon, U.K.