Demo assemblies are educational simulations that introduce participants to the deliberative process used in civic assemblies. Unlike sprint-assemblies, which address real policy issues with demographically representative panels, demo assemblies are designed as learning experiences open to anyone interested in experiencing deliberative democracy firsthand.
A typical demo assembly runs 3-4 hours and walks participants through structured deliberation on either a real or fictional issue. The format mirrors actual civic assemblies: participants engage in facilitated small-group discussions, consider different perspectives, weigh tradeoffs, and work toward collective recommendations.
Public Democracy LA has conducted several demo assemblies to build public understanding and support for civic assemblies in Los Angeles. In September 2024, PDLA partnered with Los Angeles Democracy Vouchers to lead a demo assembly at the Congress of Neighborhoods at LA City Hall. Approximately 25 participants experienced both democracy vouchers and civic assembly deliberation, tackling housing issues in small groups. One participant noted, “It is, by far, the most informative, forward-thinking, and engaging breakout session I’ve experienced.” Neighborhood council leaders and community organizers expressed interest in bringing these methods to their own communities.
In June 2025, PDLA partnered with Braver Angels for a demo assembly in Culver City focused on wildfire response and rebuilding policies. Participants deliberated on the tradeoffs between housing availability, economics, and fire safety. Expert presentations came from a landscape architecture fellow, a housing advocacy director, and a state senator’s aide. The event compressed a typical 40-hour civic assembly process into three hours, successfully generating rough consensus among participants. Coverage appeared in LAist/KPCC.
To expand the reach of this work, PDLA has created “Demo Assembly in a Box”—comprehensive instructions enabling other organizations to facilitate their own demo assemblies. The toolkit is available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/18cMjbeNGcTAj3IFU3fS_Nqi3MZjPvG2gA_5BrfuBsFs/edit and has been adopted by groups beyond Los Angeles, including in New York.
Demo assemblies serve PDLA’s mission by demystifying civic assemblies, training potential facilitators, and building momentum toward full-scale assemblies in Los Angeles.
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