In Norway, more voices, better solutions
Last year, leaders in Norway were shocked to learn that less than half of citizens trusted government. The falloff in trust was 16 percentage points in only two years. To help patch up public faith in democracy, 40,000 people were picked at random from all walks of life, and then 66 were chosen to deliberate together over four months on a “citizens’ assembly,” or what was called the Future Panel.
This group of everyday folks was given a broad assignment: What values should guide the use of Norway’s immense wealth from oil for “the good of the world, ourselves, and future generations?” They were asked to give advice on how to spend the country’s $1.8 trillion in oil riches, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund. A balanced group of experts gave them advice.
On Tuesday, the citizens panel delivered its consensus: A specific percentage of the oil fund should be spent on sustainable investments in renewable energy and in developing countries, even if profits are low.
One participant, a 17-year-old student, told Reuters, “The idea was that we were different people from different parts of the country. My experience is that we had all the same fundamental values.”
This type of well-informed, civil, and participatory decision-making – across party lines and across age groups – is becoming common in many countries worried about declining trust in institutions. In a survey of 30 countries released last year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found an average of 44% of citizens had low or no trust in national government.
Citizen assemblies can help break barriers between experts and the public. They set examples for listening, treating others as equals, and learning about difficult issues. The OECD survey found that 69% of people who believe they have a high say in government also have high trust in government, in contrast to only 22% among those who feel they do not have a say.
“Public debate ... in every country is dominated by people that are eager to discuss and to share their opinions,” said Kristin Halvorsen, a former finance minister who helped set up the Norwegian panel. “The citizens’ assembly gives us an opportunity to hear voices that don’t seek that kind of attention. That is important for democracy.”
