How to scale democratic innovations?
Our new paper is out today! Join us for the live launch and discussion at 17:00 CET
Citizens’ assemblies and other democratic innovations are spreading around the world - but they don’t spread by themselves.
Behind many successful examples sit organisations doing the often invisible work of building capacity, strengthening quality, connecting networks, and navigating relationships with power. In a time of democratic decline - and growing attention on technology and AI as solutions - understanding this relational civic infrastructure has never been more important.
Today, we’re releasing our new paper, “Scaling Democratic Innovation: Features of Effective Catalyst Organisations & Future Frontiers”, written by Claudia Chwalisz and Sammy McKinney.
Today at 17:00 CET, join us for a 90 minute virtual live launch and discussion with:
Claudia Chwalisz – Author, CEO and Founder, DemocracyNext
Sammy McKinney – Author, AI & Deliberation Fellow, DemocracyNext and PhD Candidate at University of Cambridge
Nicole Curato – Professor, University of Birmingham
Kelly McBride – Director - Capacity Building & Standards, Involve
Josh Burgess – Senior USA Advisor, DemocracyNext and Director, Central Oregon Civic Action Project (COCAP)
Moderated by:
Andrew Sorota – Head of Research, Office of Eric Schmidt
Drawing on 22 interviews with leaders and ecosystem actors connected to nine leading deliberative democracy organisations across three continents, Claudia and Sammy identify six core features that underpin effective scaling - alongside the tensions these organisations face and five frontiers for future practice.
In the paper (and event), we explore:
What “scaling catalysts” are and why they matter
Why scaling deliberation is about more than technology
The six features that support high-quality, sustainable scaling
The challenges catalysts face (funding, independence, coordination)
What’s needed next: technology, education, legal frameworks, community infrastructure, and public communication
This work is for:
Practitioners and organisations working on citizens’ assemblies and participatory governance
Funders and philanthropists supporting democratic innovation
Policymakers and civil servants interested in institutionalising deliberation
Researchers and students of democracy, governance, and public participation
Anyone interested in how deliberative democracy can scale... well!
📡 On the radar
‘Rebuilding the Republic From the Bottom Up’, a Washington Monthly piece by Will Friedman on why lasting democratic change requires a bold agenda for democratic renewal (including citizens’ assemblies!).
‘How a student citizens’ assembly in France is reshaping a Parisian university’, a The Loop article on how UPEC’s deliberative experiment engages students, faculty and staff to future-proof their institution.
Watch ‘Reboot Democracy: Designing Democratic Engagement for the AI Era’, an online workshop curated by Danielle Allen and co-led by Claudia Chwalisz on the role of AI in deliberative democracy.
❄️ Events
22 January, Berlin, Germany
We’re co-hosting the first Democracy Stammtisch of 2026 with our friends at the Better Politics Foundation in Berlin. Come grab a drink, meet fellow democracy enthusiasts, and let’s chat about how we can advance 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 together in 2026!
23 & 24 January 2026, Berlin, Germany
Claudia will be co-hosting a workshop with Kyle Redman from the AI & Democracy Foundation on deliberative technology during the Political Tech Summit.
4 February, online
Join Claudia and Nathan Krinch as they explore the question, ‘AI and the Planet: Can Democracy Survive AI?’, as part of a webinar series organised and hosted by RSA Fellowship.
12 February, online
Save the date and join us for the launch of our latest report on citizens’ assemblies in Africa. More details to follow!