Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The aim of this project was to come up with a good, well worked out, suggestion as to how best to include a randomly-selected decision making body into the existing Northern Ireland political system. Firstly, international academic experts were brought together to generate a range of possible ways of doing so. Secondly, Northern Ireland citizens were asked what they thought of the suggestions. Thirdly, half of all elected politicians in Northern Ireland were interviewed and their main objections to a possible role for randomly selected citizens were identified. Bearing in mind this evidence from public opinion and the opinions of politicians, suggestions were finalised as to how best to amend existing institutions to build in a role for randomly chosen citizen decision makers. Finally, a small real-world trial was set up to illustrate citizen decision making in action. The study contains three datasets: Public attitudes to a citizens' assembly: this is a survey dataset in which the respondents were a representative sample (n=1000; in-home interviews; computer assisted personal interviewing) of the Northern Ireland population. The respondents were asked a set of questions about the idea of using a Citizens Assembly (made up of randomly selected citizens who deliberate and come to a decision on a given issue) to make decisions on sensitive issues in Northern Ireland that parties find difficult to resolve. The survey was conducted by Ipsos-Mori and was part of an Omnibus survey. Quota sampling was used to ensure that respondents are representative of the broad population in terms of age, gender, social class and geographical location. Political elite attitudes to a citizens' assembly: this is a survey dataset in which the respondents were elected politicians in Northern Ireland, specifically Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). A representative sample of 42 of the total of 108 MLAs was...