How to crowdsource a Constitution in practice Crowdsourcing a Constitution in practice Dr. Matthijs Pontier 2.  Trust civilians vs Distrust ‘power'  Enthusiastic about tech, but alert on risks  Use tech to empower; not to repress  Free sharing of information, art and culture  Evidence-based policy with long-term vision  Stimulate self-determination, but keep rights Basic principles Pirate Party Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 3. • Why do we need top-down governance when we can decide for ourselves? Leaderless decision making 4. e-Democracy • Easily participate in democratic process • Vote on ideas; not on parties or persons • Power of Ideas replace the idea of power Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 5. Better Reykjavik • Jon Gnarr: Comedian who critized corruption and became mayor of Reykjavik 6. • Formal collaboration with the city of Reykjavík connect citizens to their representatives • Over 70.000 of 120.000 people participated • 15 top ideas processed every month • 476 ideas have been approved Better Reykjavik Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 7. Better Reykjavik 8. • Over 600.000 users since 2008 • Scales well, easy to translate and adapt • Used in Iceland, Estonia, Australia, USA, UK, and elsewhere Your Priorities Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 9. • citiz ens Better Alamance 10. • Everybody can add ideas • Everybody can add arguments • Erverybody can vote up / down • Best ideas and arguments come up • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0lFd 1poJfs How does it work? Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 11. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 12. • Points for and against are in different columns which makes it hard to argue • This encourages rational debate and helps facilitate consensus Don’t argue, debate! Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 13. • Prioritization of ideas and points makes junk disappear down lists • Users notify admins about offending content • Users get 3 warnings and are banned on the 4th • They never yet had to ban a user Abuse protection Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 14. Loomio 15. Amsterdam West Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 16. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU 17. Combine online & offline • Improve traditional democratic processes • Brainstorm online -> assembly offline -> vote on/offline • Enhance offline assemblies with direct onl

1. Crowdsourcing a
Constitution in practice
Dr. Matthijs Pontier

2.  Trust civilians vs Distrust ‘power'
 Enthusiastic about tech, but alert on risks
 Use tech to empower; not to repress
 Free sharing of information, art and culture
 Evidence-based policy with long-term vision
 Stimulate self-determination, but keep rights
Basic principles Pirate Party
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

3. • Why do we need top-down governance
when we can decide for ourselves?
Leaderless decision making

4. e-Democracy
• Easily participate in democratic process
• Vote on ideas; not on parties or persons
• Power of Ideas replace the idea of power
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

5. Better Reykjavik
• Jon Gnarr: Comedian who
critized corruption
and became mayor
of Reykjavik

6. • Formal collaboration with the city of
Reykjavík connect citizens to their
representatives
• Over 70.000 of 120.000 people participated
• 15 top ideas processed every month
• 476 ideas have been approved
Better Reykjavik
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

7. Better Reykjavik

8. • Over 600.000 users since 2008
• Scales well, easy to translate and adapt
• Used in Iceland, Estonia, Australia, USA, UK,
and elsewhere
Your Priorities
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

9. • citiz
ens
Better Alamance

10. • Everybody can add ideas
• Everybody can add arguments
• Erverybody can vote up / down
• Best ideas and arguments come up
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0lFd
1poJfs
How does it work?
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

11. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

12. • Points for and against are in different columns
which makes it hard to argue
• This encourages rational debate and helps
facilitate consensus
Don’t argue, debate!
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

13. • Prioritization of ideas and points
makes junk disappear down lists
• Users notify admins about offending
content
• Users get 3 warnings and are banned on
the 4th
• They never yet had to ban a user
Abuse protection
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

14. Loomio

15. Amsterdam West
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

16. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

17. Combine online & offline
• Improve traditional democratic processes
• Brainstorm online -> assembly offline -> vote
on/offline
• Enhance offline assemblies with direct
online feedback from active audience
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

18. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

19. Constitution Iceland
• 1000 randomly selected civilians held assembly;
gave a 700-page advise about principles and
values in Constitution
• 25 elected civilians (out of 522) held assemblies
and wrote the Constitution
• Before assemblies, elected civilians asked for
feedback, leading to ~4000 comments
• 2/3 civilians supported Constitution in
referendum
• Constitution killed by conservative politicians
• Pirate party protested this, and got popular..
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

20. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

21. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

22. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

23. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

24. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

25. Crowdsourcing a constitution
for the EU
 Constitution was voted down in referendum
 Lisbon-treaty largely same; no referendum
 Symbolic for democratic deficit in EU
 EU should be by the people, for the people
 https://www.peoplesconstitution.eu
 Twitter: @CrowdsourceEU
Facebook: Crowdsource Europe
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

26. Accept values / ideas /
articles / amendments, when:
• Popular enough
• Not too controversial
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

27. Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016 Crowdsourcing a constitution for the EU

28. Thanks!
• @Matthijs85
• Matthijs Pontier
• matthijs@piratenpartij.nl
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/
matthijspontier
• End of june, PPNL will elect
the lead candidate for the
2017 elections.
• https://www.piratenpartij.nl
Matthijs Pontier, Fabcity campus Amsterdam, 26-5-2016