Knobloch blog post on how CIR restores public trust
At the Democratic Audit blog, Katherine Knobloch posted a short essay, “Improving access to information and restoring the public’s faith in democracy through deliberative institutions.” Here’s a quick excerpt:
Using a two-wave panel survey of registered Oregon voters, we asked participants whether they thought the government was responsive to the public and if they had faith in their own ability to make good governing decisions. The first wave was conducted in August of 2010, before voters were likely to have heard about the CIR. The second wave was conducted in October and November of that year, as voters were returning their mail-in ballots and casting votes on measures that CIR panelists had reviewed. Our results, recently published in Political Studies, suggest a clear change to how participants felt about their governing system. Knowing that the CIR existed increased participants’ faith that the government cares about the public and works in its interest. Responses from those who read the information in the CIR’s summary statement revealed further benefits: their belief that they understood policy and could make good decisions increased. A follow-up survey in 2012 confirmed these results.
These findings come from a publication you can access through this site.
Knobloch, K. R., Barthel, M., & Gastil, J. (2019). Emanating effects: The impact of the Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review on voters’ political efficacy. Political Studies.