Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability

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Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability, Nonprofit Organization, 2058 Derby Hall 154 N Oval Mall, Columbus, OH.

We are the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA), dedicated to fostering meaningful conversations between citizens and elected officials to strengthen democratic governance.

What happens after a deliberative event can be just as important as what happens in the room.Recent research on citizens...
10/07/2026

What happens after a deliberative event can be just as important as what happens in the room.

Recent research on citizens’ assemblies encourages us to look beyond immediate policy outcomes when evaluating democratic impact. Deliberative processes may also strengthen citizens’ political confidence, help representatives better understand their constituents, and improve how institutions engage the public.

IDEA’s Deliberative Town Halls (DTH) are designed to create this kind of meaningful, two-way engagement. A representative group of constituents receives nonpartisan information, participates in a neutrally moderated discussion, and engages directly with an elected representative.

Policy follow-through still matters—and citizens deserve to know what happens after the conversation ends.

Learn more about IDEA’s Deliberative Town Halls through the link in our bio or visit:
https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu/about-idea-3/idea-toolkit

🇳🇬 Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!To our friends, partners and the communities we’ve worked with in Nigeria: today, we’...
10/01/2026

🇳🇬 Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!

To our friends, partners and the communities we’ve worked with in Nigeria: today, we’re celebrating with you.

In 2024 and 2026, we worked with Nigerian partners to hold two rounds of Deliberative Town Halls, bringing citizens and their elected representatives together to discuss the issues that matter in their everyday lives.

This summer, 678 citizens gathered in local halls across Bende, Obio-Akpor and Ikole/Oye, while their representatives joined by video from Abuja to hear their questions and concerns.

To everyone who welcomed our team, shared their experiences and helped make these conversations possible, thank you. We’re grateful for the relationships we’ve built and everything we continue to learn together.

Wishing you a happy 66th Independence Day!

Read more about our work in Nigeria.
(https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu/nigerian-deliberative-town-halls)

IDEA Director Michael Neblo appointed Dreher ChairMichael Neblo, founding director of the Institute for Democratic Engag...
09/29/2026

IDEA Director Michael Neblo appointed Dreher Chair
Michael Neblo, founding director of the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA), has been appointed the Ann and Darrell Dreher Chair in Political Communication and Policy Thinking in Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The Ohio State University Board of Trustees approved the appointment for a five-year term, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031.

Michael is a professor of political science at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on deliberative democracy and political psychology, including how citizens and elected officials can engage in informed discussions about public policy.

Through IDEA’s Deliberative Town Halls, Michael and his collaborators bring together representative groups of constituents and elected officials for focused policy discussions. Participants receive nonpartisan background information in advance, and a neutral moderator guides the conversation as officials respond to constituents’ questions.

Michael is the coauthor of Politics with the People: Building a Directly Representative Democracy (2018), with Kevin Esterling and David Lazer. The book develops and tests an approach to improving representative government through direct exchanges between citizens and elected officials. He is also the author of Deliberative Democracy between Theory and Practice (2015), which examines the relationship between democratic theory and empirical research.

Read the appointment announcement in Ohio State News.
https://news.osu.edu/distinguished-university-professors-honored-by-ohio-state-board-of-trustees/

And learn more about Deliberative Town Halls here: https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu/about-idea-3/idea-toolkit

Can ordinary people solve problems that politicians can’t?A new University of Auckland article asks what happens when or...
09/22/2026

Can ordinary people solve problems that politicians can’t?

A new University of Auckland article asks what happens when ordinary citizens, who don’t have the same political capital to lose, are given the time, information, and space to work through difficult public problems.

The article also highlights why bringing people across political and social differences into conversation matters, while pointing to a major challenge with traditional citizens’ assemblies: they can be costly and time-consuming.

That’s one of the challenges IDEA’s Deliberative Town Halls were designed to address. Conducted online and at much lower cost, DTHs bring citizens into structured conversations with policymakers without requiring the expense and logistics of multi-day, in-person assemblies.

Citizens’ assemblies are one approach. Deliberative Town Halls are another.

📖 Read the University of Auckland article:
Can ordinary people solve problems that MPs can’t? https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/09/22/planetary-solutions-strangers-solve-problems.html

🌐 Learn more about IDEA’s work:
https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu/

🍂 Hello, autumn! Here’s to a season of bright colors, fresh ideas, and conversations that bring us closer.From all of us...
09/22/2026

🍂 Hello, autumn! Here’s to a season of bright colors, fresh ideas, and conversations that bring us closer.

From all of us at IDEA, may this fall bring opportunities to learn from one another, find common ground, and make a difference in our communities. 🧡

Add a little inspiration to your fall reading—visit our website for stories, research, and ideas that encourage meaningful dialogue and civic engagement:
https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu

A vote is a voice. Democracy also needs opportunities to ask questions, listen, and help shape what happens next.This In...
09/15/2026

A vote is a voice. Democracy also needs opportunities to ask questions, listen, and help shape what happens next.

This International Day of Democracy, IDEA celebrates meaningful participation—at the ballot box and in the conversations between citizens and their representatives.

See how IDEA brings citizens and elected representatives together for meaningful conversations—and explore what this could look like in your community: https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu

Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day!Just like every Ohio State Buckeye's day starts with showing up, every elect...
09/14/2026

Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day!

Just like every Ohio State Buckeye's day starts with showing up, every election starts with making sure you're registered to vote.

Take a minute to register to vote or update your voter registration information at Vote.gov.

Want to learn more? Watch the 30-second video "Be Election Ready: Registering to Vote" 👉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSUuKK4WlCE

Make your voice heard.

People deserve to know how their concerns are being addressed. Deliberative Town Halls create space for direct questions...
09/09/2026

People deserve to know how their concerns are being addressed. Deliberative Town Halls create space for direct questions, meaningful explanations, and a clearer understanding of what comes next.

Visit our website to learn more about our DTH. If you’re interested in bringing a DTH to your community, please contact us at https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu/

A recent Guardian article examines civic assemblies as a way to involve residents in decisions on difficult public issue...
09/08/2026

A recent Guardian article examines civic assemblies as a way to involve residents in decisions on difficult public issues, from housing to AI to local government reform.

One important part of the process is random selection. Instead of relying on the same people who usually show up at public meetings, participants are selected to bring a broader mix of residents into the room. The article shows why that matters: people often feel more heard, more involved, and more connected to the decisions that affect their communities, while officials receive input from beyond the “usual suspects.”

Hold on, do you know how this is different from a Deliberative Town Hall?

DTHs start with many of the same ideas: reaching beyond the usual voices and bringing a more representative group of constituents into the conversation. But DTHs use a more structured process, with nonpartisan background information, neutral moderation, and direct conversation between constituents and their elected representatives.

Illustration created with AI.

Curious about civic assemblies? Read the full Guardian article here: https://archive.ph/RN4c4 -1645.0-1645.251

Learn more about IDEA’s Deliberative Town Halls: https://democracyinstitute.osu.edu/

Happy Labor Day from all of us at IDEA.
09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day from all of us at IDEA.

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2058 Derby Hall 154 N Oval Mall
Columbus, OH
43210

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