Voice insecurity: Mapping the consequences of institutional exclusion & charting a path to democratic renewal with citizens' assemblies

This report analyzes "voice insecurity" — when citizens feel their input is ignored by government — and advocates for the use of citizens' assemblies to rebuild trust.

The report introduces a framework adapted from "food insecurity" to explain why citizens feel a deep, multidimensional lack of influence in modern democracy. It argues that traditional mechanisms like voting are no longer sufficient to provide meaningful citizen voice between elections.

This resource acts as a conceptual and policy roadmap for addressing democratic decline. It provides a detailed definition of voice insecurity, a "vicious cycle" model of how it perpetuates, and a evidence-based "virtuous cycle" for renewal through innovative engagement processes. It is particularly useful for policymakers and advocates seeking to institutionalize citizens' assemblies.

Source: Federation for Innovation in Democracy (FIDE) North America
Language: English

Author: Atl Castro Asmussen and Marjan H. Ehsassi

Year of publication: 2025