A new state program is aiming to engage Californians more directly in the work of democracy.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced California’s upcoming launch of what he called a bold, innovative program that will bring Californians together to engage, interact and share ideas to help shape government services and collectively create policy solutions.

“Engaged California” is a program to support community conversations about important topics using digital platforms.

With this new initiative, the state will lead the nation in deliberative democracy, better ensuring decisions are centered on the people’s voices.

As part of California’s all-in response to the firestorm, this pilot program is being launched now for survivors and the greater Los Angeles community, with plans to roll it out statewide.

“Government works better when we build it together — and this means making it easier for everyone to be involved,” said Newsom. “After years of development, I am excited to launch this new pilot program to help create a town hall for the modern era — where Californians share their perspectives, concerns, and ideas geared toward finding real solutions. We’re starting this effort by more directly involving Californians in the LA firestorm response and recovery. As we recover, reimagine, and rebuild Los Angeles, we will do it together.”

How Engaged California works

In California, we know a strong democracy takes work. We build it through practices that spark conversation and solve problems.

With Engaged California, Californians will be better empowered to have honest, respectful discussions on important topics to help create more responsive and people-driven policies and programs.

The program is modeled after successful digital democracy efforts in Taiwan, which used digital tools to help increase consensus-building and build governance powered by the people.

The foundation of the program will encourage participation from Californians across all walks of life to interact with each other to find common ground and help set priorities for state government action.

The program will help people to directly voice their concerns and ideas, and improve policymakers' and administrators' efforts to listen to Californians outside of election cycles and to be more responsive to their concerns.

“Fire survivors are looking for answers, and California is gearing up to meet them where they are,” said Government Operations Secretary Amy Tong. “We have to think differently to bring us closer to those we serve, especially those whose voices we may be missing through traditional channels.”

Engaged California is different from a poll or town hall, and is not designed to mimic social media. The platform is the intersection between technology, democracy and state government. The end goal is to encourage more discussions as a new way to find common ground, a process known internationally as deliberative democracy.

The launch of Engaged California will initially focus on the response to the Los Angeles firestorms, bringing together community members to help influence response efforts and better address issues based on community experiences and voices.

“The launch of this program and our first deliberation will help us hear from the people we serve,” said California Office of Data and Innovation Director Jeffery Marino. “Far from just a technical tool, this is an innovative approach to foster greater collaboration and co-creation between the people of California and their government.”

The Government Operations Agency, the California Office of Data and Innovation, in partnership with Carnegie California, the West Coast office and program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, are leading the development of this program and its supporting deliberative engagement tools.

The state is also partnering with the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and community organizations to help ensure the program is accessible for community members who may be harder to reach.

Other program design partners and advisors for this initiative include scholars and leaders from The American Public Trust, the Berggruen Institute, Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab, UC Berkeley, Harvard University’s Center for Internet and Society, the San Francisco Foundation, Project Liberty Institute and the Kapor Center.

“The future of democracy depends on finding new ways for public officials to become more responsive to the people, to bridge divides, and to harness emerging technologies that can help solve problems and improve lives in California and around the world,” said Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, president, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “This effort brings us closer to that future by helping to strengthen democracy’s capacity for both deliberation and action on the issues that matter most.”

“Engaged California is a new tool the Office of Data and Innovation has been developing over the last two years that is intended to be a permanent feature of state government,” said Nathan Gardels, editor-in-chief of Noema Magazine and co-founder of the Berggruen Institute's Think Long Committee for California. “Engaged California is a three-way tool that enables policymakers and administrators to listen to average citizens outside of election cycles and be responsive; it invites citizens to directly voice their concerns and proposals on an ongoing basis; and it is a platform that encourages and enables Californians from all walks of life to interact with each other to find common ground.”

“Instead of just one idea dominating the conversation of the entire population, we can have thousands of different ideas and meld them together into something that is working with the people, not just for the people,” said Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first digital minister and creator of vTaiwan. “And the digital participation infrastructure that enables this, I see a great future in California continuing to lead in this direction.”

“I am excited to be part of the new Engaged California pilot program, which will harness the power of technology to strengthen my connection with Eaton Fire survivors and ensure their voices shape our recovery efforts,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. “This innovative platform will help us better understand the community’s priorities as we focus on a swift and effective rebuilding process in Altadena. I look forward to leveraging this tool to drive meaningful engagement and deliver the support and resources our residents need.”