Clark and Teachout Slow Democracy

Hacker Valley, West Virginia April in west Virginia smells like wild leeks pungent and oniony in the woods, their .....

West Virginia is not an isolated case, while that state's experience with consolidation has since created (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.13-9)

(Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" excerpts at Front Porch Republic

Roz Frontiera laughs into the telephone from her family room in .....

While the city has plenty of seawater, drinking water is another issue. Gloucester's (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.38-9)

Alarmed by what they learned about privitization, Frontiera and other Gloucester residents began organizing, trying to persuade residents that the city itself (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.42-3)

Mendocino County: Moratorium on GE Crop

Mendocino County, California, was the first North American county to outlaw the use of genetically engineered (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.48-9)

Such tactics have been used for an increasing range of issues, as other communities have passed local ordinances calling for limits ...

.... His brief asked the court to overturn the law, stating, “There is no inalienable right to local self-government. (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.54-5)

In New Hampshire the only comercial television station in the state caught wind that Portsmouth Middle School was hosting an event dealing with violence. According to Jim Noucas, immediately after the Columbine shooting:

They arrived at the school unannounced with cameras rolling. Live, they wanted to know about the violent incident that occurred at [Portsmouth Middle School] and created this study circle activity. As soon as they were told that there had been no violence and that community members were meeting with students to talk about what safe and respectful schools should be, they turned off their cameras and left. It never made the news. 22

Hundreds of students and parents in thoughtful, preventive dialogue do not, apparently, make for exciting television. They did, however, make for important changes within the social community. Administrators implemented the specific recommendations emerging from the study circles, including the increased adult supervision in the hallways, bathrooms, and school buses. After these changes, the school appears to have experienced a decline in bullying. 23 Perhaps as importantly, the community strengthened important relationships: students felt validated and empowered by being listened to by grown-ups; adults recognized profound value in students’ thoughtful input; and parents and community members who had never been past the school lobby gained a deepened understanding of their school.

While community leaders across America shook their heads in bafflement about the issues that may have caused the Columbine shootings, Portsmouth was doing the slow, heartfelt work needed to ensure that such horror might never strike home there. (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.72-3)

In a well-known 2006 study, researchers wired up some voters to explore exactly what happens inside our brains when we receive new information, especially (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.82-3)

Here, the link between cultural cognition and deliberation is often at work.

Damariscotta, on Route 1 in Maine, provides a classic illustration of how deliberation can help us move ... The town was ravaged by a Walmart battle in 2005. (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.86-7)

Samsø, Denmark—The. Island That Listened

We can look across the ...

The little island of Samsø sits off the east coast of Denmark's Jutland peninsula (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.102-3)

The jury system is also on the wane. Gastil notes that many countries have reduced or eliminated their use of juries; indeed, over 90% of the trials in the world are held in the United States. Meanwhile, “in the name of procedural efficiency, many U.S. courts have reduced the size and frequency of jury trials,” and the (Susan Clark and Woden Teachout "Slow Democracy" 2012 p.185)

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