Bürgerrat

Bürgerrat, often translated as Citizens' Council or Citizens' Assembly, is a form of deliberative democracy. It involves a randomly selected group of citizens who are brought together to learn about a specific issue, deliberate on it, and make recommendations. The selection process aims to create a representative sample of the population, mirroring demographic characteristics such as age, gender, occupation, and geographic location.

Participants typically receive background information from experts, hear from various stakeholders, and engage in facilitated discussions over a period of time. The goal is not to reach a consensus that reflects everyone's initial opinion, but rather to foster informed deliberation and develop well-considered proposals. These recommendations are then often presented to elected officials or relevant decision-making bodies for consideration.

Bürgerräte are designed to complement traditional representative democracy by providing a space for deeper public engagement and more nuanced policy development. They can address complex or controversial issues where public opinion is divided or where traditional political processes struggle to find solutions. By empowering ordinary citizens to engage with policy challenges, Bürgerräte aim to increase legitimacy, transparency, and the quality of democratic decision-making. They have been used in various countries and at different levels of governance to tackle topics ranging from climate change to social policy.