U.S. states where the people can use a state constitutional convention to bypass the legislature's gatekeeping power over constitutional amendment
Constitutonal Convention and Citizens’ Assembly News
(publications not otherwise included on the state-specific clearinghouse websites)
Directions: To search for a certain type of post, enter what you’re searching for in the filter fields above the database table. For example, to search for constitutional convention news in Chile, enter “Chile” in the Location filter field. To filter by multiple criteria, enter information in multiple fields. For example, to search for constitutional convention news in Chile during 2021, enter a date range in the Date field from 1/1/21 to 21/31/21, and Chile in the location field. To search across all fields at once, enter a word or phrase in the field marked “search.”
wdt_ID
Topic
Scope
Location
Date
Article
Link
Publication
Note
1
ConCon
Country
Chile
12/24/2021
This Is a Do-or-Die Moment for Chile’s Incoming President
New York Times
2
Jury/CA
N.A.
N.A.
01/22/2022
Can randomly selected citizens govern better than elected officials?
VOX
3
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Scotland
11/30/2021
Are citizens’ assemblies in Scotland “here to stay”?
The Scottish Parliament
4
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Canada, Prince Edward Island
11/15/2021
Citizens’ assembly welcome initiative
Saltwire
5
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Canada, Prince Edward Island
11/19/2021
Citizens' assembly to explore electoral reform on P.E.I. could be created in new year, premier says
CBC News
6
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Canada, Prince Edward Island
11/23/2021
P.E.I. — You may be called to serve. Are you ready?
Saltwire
7
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Scotland
11/23/2021
More citizens assemblies promised by Scottish Government
The Herald
8
Jury/CA
N.A.
N.A.
11/24/2021
How Citizens' Councils with Direct Democracy can help Climate Policy get on its Feet
Global Democracy News
9
ConCon
Country
Chile
10/19/2021
Chile begins drafting new constitution on 2nd anniversary of social uprising
La Prensa
10
Jury/CA
Supra-Country
Global
10/26/2021
Global Citizens’ Assemblies: A Bold Idea That Needs Our Support!
Forbes
11
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Scotland
11/30/2021
Are citizens’ assemblies in Scotland “here to stay”?
The Scottish Parliament
12
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Scotland
11/23/2021
More citizens assemblies promised by Scottish Government
The Herald
13
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Canada, Prince Edward Island
10/30/2021
P.E.I. Legislature approves citizens' assembly to design electoral reform system
CBC
14
Jury/CA
Country
Canada
09/27/2021
SOUND OFF: Let citizens’ assembly make the final decision on proportional representation
CFJC Today
15
Jury/CA
Country
Germany
09/22/2021
Elections Alone Are Not Enough: Could Citizens’ Assemblies Save Democracy in Germany?
Open Society Foundations
16
Jury/CA
Country
UK
09/17/2021
Launching the Citizens’ Assembly on Democracy in the UK
The Constitution Unit Blog
17
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
UK, Newham
09/20/2021
Can giving power to the people rebuild trust in politics?
The Big Issue
*
18
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Canada, British Columbia
09/10/2021
Who’s Still Promising Electoral Reform? Fair Voting BC Takes a Look
The Tyee
19
Jury/CA
N.A.
N.A.
09/29/2021
Watch the Athens Democracy Forum 2021 below
Athens Democracy Forum
20
Jury/CA
Country
Malaysia
08/17/2021
A better Malaysia Assembly, not just a new PM, please
The Edge Marekts
21
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
UK, Newham
07/12/2021
Newham Council launches country's first permanent Citizens’ Assembly
Public Sector Executive
*
22
Jury/CA
N.A.
N.A.
07/08/2021
CAN CITIZENS' ASSEMBLIES RESET DEMOCRACY?
OZY
*
23
Jury/CA
Country
UK, Newham
03/19/2021
Newham “radically overhauls democracy” with UK’s first Citizens’ Assembly
Time 107.5 FM
*
24
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Scotland
06/14/2021
Permanent citizens' assembly needed to 'embed real people power in Scottish politics'
The Scotsman
25
ConCon
Country
Chile
05/06/2021
Chile’s Constitutional Rewrite: A Difficult Path Ahead, but a Recipe for Inclusion
Council of Foreign Relations
26
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
UK, Wales
05/09/2021
Drakeford demands more powers for Cardiff parliament
Financial Times
27
Jury/CA
Supra-Country
European Union
04/01/2021
Guidelines for EU Citizens’ Assemblies
Citizens Take Over
*
28
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
UK, Scotland
01/13/2021
The Report of the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland
Citizens' Assembly of Scotland
29
ConCon
Country
Chile
02/02/2022
Chile Constitutional Convention: Citizens vote on proposed initiatives
Al Jazeera
30
ConCon
Country
Chile
01/31/2022
Neoliberalism was born in Chile. Now it will die there
openDemocracy
31
ConCon
Country
Chile
02/01/2022
Chile Constitutional convention votes to nationalise mining
Mining Journal
32
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Ireland, Dublin
02/07/2022
Citizens’ assembly set to examine possibility of directly elected mayor for Dublin
The Irish Times
33
Jury/CA
Sub-Country
Canada, Prince Edward Island
02/11/2022
Citizens assembly is ground-breaking step forward for P.E.I. democracy
Saltwire
34
Jury/CA
Country
Ireland
11/16/2021
We may have overdone it on citizens’ assemblies
Irish Times
35
ConCon
Country
Chile
02/18/2022
Chile’s Constitutional Convention Advances to the Plenary
Havana Times
36
ConCon
Country
Chile
02/16/2022
Chile's Constitutional Convention To Run First Plenary Session
teleSUR
37
ConCon
Country
Chile
02/15/2022
Constitutional assembly members start debate of new Constitution in Santiago
Denver Gazette
38
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
02/19/2022
Program honoring 50th Anniversary of 1972 Constitutional Convention to be held Wednesday
Great Falls Tribune
*
39
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
02/18/2022
Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Montana's Constitution announced
Havre Daily News
*
40
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
02/21/2022
Sidney to host one of nine 50th anniversary celebrations for the Montana constittion
Sidney Herald
*
41
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
02/24/2022
Delegates to Montana Constitutional Convention participate in 50th Anniversary celebration
Great Falls Tribune
[I]t was determined that no current elected officials in the state could participate in the convention.... the event will be posted in full at greatfallsrisingmt.org.
42
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
02/22/2022
50 years later, the ‘Con-Con’ still a model for today
Chile’s overwhelmed constitution writers are facing a backlash
Leader-Telegram
45
ConCon
Country
Chile
03/02/2022
The Dangerous Hubris of Chile’s Constitutional Convention
Americas Quarterly
46
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
03/15/2022
MSU, Montana Free Press to mark constitutional convention's 50th anniversary with event next week
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
*The Montana Supreme Court decided in 1971 that legislators and other elected officials could not run to be a delegate. That opened the door to a slew of people who had never run for office before, including 19 women.
47
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
03/13/2022
Guest opinion: Montana’s 1972 Constitution celebration noted with columns
Billings Gazette
*Their new Constitution, often recognized as the best state Constitution in the nation...
48
ConCon
Sub-Country
Montana
03/10/2022
Commentary: Montana’s last, best document
Daily Montanan
Montana isn’t just the last best place, but it’s protected by the last, best Constitution.
49
ConCon
Country
Chile
03/09/2022
Chile Radicals Get a Warning to Tone Down Constitution Proposals
Bloomberg Quint
50
Jury/CA
N.A.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
03/28/2022
Harvard Undergraduates Will Vote on a New Student Government Constitution This Week. Here’s What You Need to Know
Harvard Crimson
Topic
Scope
Location
Date
Article
Link
Publication
Note
Past Compilations by J.H. Snider
Primarily for his own personal use in recent years, J.H. Snider has been compiling information on miscellaneous constitutional conventions and citizens’ assemblies since the early 2000s. For example, from 2016 to 2021 he maintained the LinkedIn Group, The Constitutional Convention and Citizens’ Assembly Clearinghouse.
This LinkedIn group replaced an earlier Facebook group, Constitutional Convention and Citizens Assembly Based Democratic Reform Facebook Group (2012-2015) and previous Facebook group with the same title (2009-2012). Both were mysteriously deleted by Facebook without any notice, subsequent explanation, or means of contacting Facebook, which led to the switchover to LinkedIn. Equally mysteriously, Facebook reposted and combined both Facebook groups years later–again, without any notice or explanation. Perhaps someone responded to Snider’s numerous emails to Facebook that never received a reply. However, all the members of the first and much larger Facebook group were lost, and Snider gave up on recreating that membership.
The Facebook 2009-2012 Facebook group replaced the Citizens Assembly News Digest, a newsletter sent via e-mail to scholars and practitioners.
The Citizens Assembly News Digest, in turn, replaced the Citizens Assembly Blog, which during 2006 and 2007 covered citizen assemblies on electoral reform in British Columbia, Canada; Ontario, Canada; and the Netherlands.
The Citizens Assembly Blog, in turn, replaced an email listserv covering a bipartisan California Senate prospective and then later formal bill for a California citizens assembly co-sponsored by two California state senators. When that bill was defeated, the focus switched to passing an innovative redistricting proposal based on a partially randomly selected redistricting commission, which voters passed via a constitutional initiative. The email listserv stopped when the bill in California’s Legislature was defeated.
Early versions of J.H. Snider’s thinking on related issues can be found at: Snider, J. H. (1994). “Democracy On-Line.” The Futurist 28: 15-19; Snider, J. H. (2006). “Solving a Classic Dilemma of Democratic Politics: Who Will Guard the Guardians?” National Civic Review(Winter); and Snider, J. H. (2007). From Dahl to O’Leary: 36 Years of the “Yale School of Democratic Reform”. Journal of Deliberative Democracy, 3(1).