Comparing Deliberative Democracy with Wise Democracy

The field of "Deliberative Democracy" has a number of democracy-enhancing tools including Citizens Juries, Citizen Assemblies, Citizen Panels, Deliberative Polls, Citizens Initiative Review, Planning Cells, etc., all focused on improving democratic choice-making. Tom Atlee, author of the book, The Tao of Democracy, characterizes many of them as "Citizens Deliberative Councils.

At first glance the Insight Council (IC) looks similar. It too randomly selects citizens (fewer) and facilitates them on a particular issue. But because of its orientation to choice-creating instead of deliberation, the IC is quite different. The Wisdom Council Process also looks similar but it is actually a structural change, a way to transform our current "republic" into a "Wise Democracy." Below is a chart comparing these democracy-enhancing approaches. Another chart presents the 12 principles of the Wisdom Council Process with the Insight Council.


To download this chart: DelibDemvsWiseDem.WC-CIC-WC11