Center for Public Deliberation
Since 2006, the Colorado State University Center for Public Deliberation (CPD) has dedicated its efforts to enhancing local democracy through improved public communication and community problem-solving. Public deliberation is an approach to public problem-solving in which citizens, not just experts or politicians, are deeply involved in public decision making. The CPD is an ongoing experiment in what happens when a local organization focuses all its energy, time, and expertise on elevating the conversation rather than winning the argument.
The Center is dedicated to three primary goals – to enhance the local civic culture, expand collaborative decision-making, and improve civic education at all levels (K-12, higher education, and citizen education).
Working as an affiliate of the National Issues Forum Network, part of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation and the University Network for Collaborative Governance, the CPD designs and hosts an average of 20 events annually in the local community, including public forums on national and local issues and various workshops tied to public participation, collaborative governance, and civic engagement.
Since its inception, over 300 students have participated in the CPD student-associate program, hosting nearly 300 events that have attracted over 20,000 attendees and providing services to the community valued near $1.5 million.