The Citizens Assembly of Ireland has proved to be a great success for the Irish communities. After the recession of 2008-2009, brave voices decided it was time for citizens to get their say within democracy and government. Because of this body of voices, Ireland was able to get back on its feet, transforming from the collapse of government, riots, economic troubles, and a lack of trust between groups, to a united nation. 

 

I found this process to be very innovative for democracy, as it provided a platform for citizens to provide their input on government issues. With the selection of a randomized draft, regular citizens with no status or power were able to administer their beliefs and aspects of the country. I found this to be a beneficial step towards the improvement of democracy, as powerful figures were able to understand just exactly how its citizens were feeling. I really like how the direct conversation allowed for quicker realization and want for improvement. 

 

Listening to the speeches we heard last Thursday, it made me wonder why America hasn’t taken this step towards a more “united” democracy. I believe this process would be constructive for our governments understandings of the citizens desires. But, how can we make this happen? It has been discussed that America hasn’t been able to grasp this concept as the division and the excess of our population has made it difficult to bring ideas together. But, what if we did it by state, or region? Could this help form a Citizen’s Assembly in America?