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Fishkin has done this on several continents and in many countries, including the U.S. In Texas, he ran a deliberative-democracy process for a consortium of utilities, from 1996 to 2007, which gradually transformed the state from last to first in the use of wind power. "Over that time, the percentage of people — and these were stakeholders, utility customers — willing to pay more for wind went from 54% to 84%," he says. (He also ran a "National Issues Convention" for public television in 1996.)
Given all the noise afflicting the country, this might be a productive moment for deliberative democracy. "It works best when you have hard choices," Fishkin says. "Despite what you see and read, this is not a nation of extremists. What you see on TV, and in most polling, is an impersonation of public opinion. The actual public isn't really like that, especially when it is given something more than sound bites and distorted political messaging. If you give people real choices and real consequences, they will make real decisions."
So why doesn't Obama transform his blue-ribbon budget commission into a deliberative-democracy exercise? Let his 18 commissioners — who range from a conservative budget wonk like Congressman Paul Ryan to former Service Employees union leader Andy Stern — prepare a briefing paper for 500 Americans selected by Fishkin's team and then make themselves available for close questioning. Let them lay out the most vexing budget choices we face. Let the whole process be televised. It doesn't have to be binding. I'll bet the kleroterion would produce results bolder and more credible than anything Obama's commission will recommend. "People are tired of the elites telling them what to do," says Fishkin. Perhaps it's time to turn that process upside down.

A. 어휘
deliberative-democracy process 토의민주주의 과정.
utilities (가스, 전기, 전화 등의) 공익사업. gradually 점차적으로.
transformed 변화시키다. from last to first 처음부터 끝까지.
stakeholders 이해관계자. Convention 협의회, 회의, 전통, 관습.
afflict 괴롭히다. extremists 극단주의자. polling 투표.
impersonation 인격화, 擬人化(의인화), 위장.
bites 물어뜯기, 신랄함, 아픔. sound bites 爭點(쟁점)의 내용.
distorted 왜곡된. consequences 결과. blue-ribbon 최상의.
deliberative-democracy 토의민주주의. commissioner 위원, 청장, 국장.
conservative 보수적인. wonk 공붓벌레, 일벌레, 바보, 하찮은 사람 .
Congressman 하원의원.
make themselves available for close questioning 질문에 답하게 하다.
lay out 매만지다, 설계하다. vexing 성가신, 짜증나게 하는.
binding 구속력이 있는, 의무적인. bet 내기하다.
I'll bet 틀림없이. turn that process upside down 그 과정을 뒤엎다.