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Actually, the Chinese coastal district of Zeguo (pop. 120,000) has its very own kleroterion, which makes all its budget decisions. The technology has been updated: the kleroterion is a team led by Stanford professor James Fishkin. Each year, 175 people are scientifically selected to reflect the general population. They are polled once on the major decisions they'll be facing. Then they are given a briefing on those issues, prepared by experts with conflicting views. Then they meet in small groups and come up with questions for the experts — issues they want further clarified. Then they meet together in plenary session to listen to the experts' response and have a more general discussion. The process of small meetings and plenary is repeated once more. A final poll is taken, and the budget priorities of the assembly are made known and adopted by the local government. It takes three days to do this. The process has grown over five years, from a deliberation over public works (new sewage-treatment plants were favored over road-building) to the whole budget shebang. By most accounts it has succeeded brilliantly, even though the participants are not very sophisticated: 60% are farmers. The Chinese government is moving toward expanding it into other districts. "The public is very smart if you give it a chance," says Fishkin, 62, who has been conducting experiments in what he calls "deliberative democracy" for nearly 20 years now. "If people think their voice actually matters, they'll do the hard work, really study their briefing books, ask the experts smart questions and then make tough decisions. When they hear the experts disagreeing, they're forced to think for themselves. About 70% change their minds in the process."

A. 어휘
coastal district 해안지역. budget 예산. poll 투표하다.
experts 전문가. conflicting views 相異(상이)한 견해.
come up with 提示(제시)하다. further clarified 보다 더 명료화된.
plenary session 총회, 전체회의. plenary 전체의, 충분한.
priorities 우선권. assembly 회의. adopt 채택하다.
deliberation 토의, 熟考(숙고). public works 공공사업.
sewage-treatment plants 하수처리공장. shebang 구성, 全貌(전모)
By most accounts 대부분 사람들의 의견에 따르면.
sophisticated 眼識(안식)이 높은, 세련된, 정교한.
expand 팽창하다. deliberative democracy 토의민주주의.