500.org

Currently incubating.

This site will become an information hub for citizen-initiated deliberative polling.

The concept is to promote a government-funded process such that if a signature-gathering threshold is reached in favor of public deliberation on some issue, five hundred scientifically randomly selected citizens will deliberate part-time for a month or more online and then convene for several days of full-time deliberation prior to voting their recommendations on the issue. They will be paid for their time at the same pay-scale as elected representatives.

The 'issue' being discussed will be a formally drafted piece of legislation, the signature-gathering organization and all political parties will be invited to put their case, and if a super majority of the 500 persons votes in favour at the end of deliberation, it will trigger a (possibly secret) conscience vote in the chamber (or combined chambers) of representatives.

Enquiries to info@500.org.