Arizona CIR pilot gets a positive formal assessment
A new publication is now available at our site, which looks in more detail at the CIR pilot held in Arizona in 2014.
- McFadden, Erica S. (2015). Arizona’s 2014 Pilot Citizens’ Initiative Review: Final Report. Report prepared for the Arizona State University Morrisson Institute and the Democracy Fund.
One conclusion from the report refers to how the experience changed the participants themselves, based on extensive interviews (p. 24):
[CIR panelists] significantly improved their decision-making capacity… [They] did not necessarily change their initial opinions and thoughts even when exposed to viewpoints different from their own, [but they] became more “open” to dialogue and consideration of candidates from opposing political affiliations. The perception of others changed, as individuals began to see other people beyond their political stripes and ideologies. In fact, the CIR process encouraged participants to engage in self-reflection. It caused individuals to pause and “step back” and re-think what they thought they knew about people who affiliated with an opposing political party.
This now complements and adds Arizona-specific detail to the more comprehensive report we posted earlier:
- Gastil, J., Knobloch, K., & Richards, R. (2015). Empowering Voters through Better Information: Analysis of the Citizens’ Initiative Review, 2010-2014. Report prepared for The Democracy Fund.
To see all the reports and publications to-date on the CIR, visit our publications page: https://sites.psu.edu/citizensinitiativereview/publications/