Read why it makes sense to give Jane and Joe Lunchbox more political power.
 

Read about Scotland and its recent Citizens' Assembly on climate change. Lots of detailed info on the process.
 

"Future Search Conferences" are a well tested method to get disparate stakeholders together and deliberate on issues of concern to the community.
 

"...creators of the 21st Century Town Meeting"
 

"The Center for Deliberative Democracy, housed in the Department of Communication at Stanford University, is devoted to research about democracy and public opinion obtained through Deliberative Polling."
 

"...engage citizens in tackling tough policy choices while pioneering the use of Civic Lotteries and Citizens' Reference Panels on behalf of forward-thinking governments"
 

"...a US-based nonpartisan nonprofit that designs and coordinates innovative deliberative democracy programs."
 

 
And while we're at it,
why not make the Canadian Senate into something
that's a bit more transparent, effective and legitimate?