It's time for a fourth branch of government
Whether you call it a constitutional crisis or simply chaos, President Trump's second term makes clear that the US system of democracy is falling apart.
Republicans control Congress and the executive branch, have a majority on the Supreme Court, and are so far ignoring lower federal courts. Trump is exploiting this situation to impose policies that violate laws and go against public opinion, such as closing congressionally funded agencies and deporting legal residents without due process. Our institutions have struggled to respond to this spiraling crisis.
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It's time for a new approach: a House of the People — a permanent citizens' assembly. This fourth branch of government would be composed of ordinary Americans, selected by lottery.
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And yes, this is a realistic proposal, even now.
Citizens' assemblies (sometimes called civic assemblies or policy juries)
These assemblies have been used in at least 34 countries since 1979 to develop policy recommendations on everything from the environment to urban planning, at all levels of government.
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Typically, 40 to 100 people participate in a given assembly, and they are compensated for their time. The assembly meets several times over a few weeks or months, learning from experts, deliberating, and developing policy proposals. These proposals are then often put to a legislative body or public vote.
In 2016, for example, Ireland's Parliament convened the country's first
Some places are adopting more enduring versions of citizens' assemblies. In 2019, the Belgian region of Ostbelgien established a
Here in the United States, imagine a House of the People composed of Americans across the political spectrum, issuing proposals on key issues from immigration to government efficiency to climate change. Each year, a representative sample of Americans would learn about the issue at hand, deliberate, and propose policies that reflected their rough consensus. Congress would then have to respond to their proposals — including by submitting them for a congressional or public vote.
A House of the People could go a long way toward rebuilding the public trust in government that our democracy needs.
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This might seem far-fetched in our current environment, in which Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling existing institutions. Why would they or the Republican-controlled legislature even consider creating a new branch of government?
When Trump was first inaugurated as president, he promised to 'drain the swamp' and restore power to the American people. 'What truly matters,'
But if the Trump administration did not want to follow through on this rhetoric, we could create a House of the People anyway. Private philanthropy could fund it to start, for a sliver of the amount spent on voter outreach. Nonpartisan nonprofit organizations, including our own — the
A House of the People might also create a popular check on other branches of government. While Trump may denigrate politicians and bureaucrats, it's harder to dismiss a body of ordinary Americans.
A House of the People is not just a short-term strategy — it's a way to fix the deeper flaws of our democracy. Even before the current crisis, most Americans, across nearly all demographic groups and ideologies,
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Trump has exposed the Achilles heel of our current model of democracy: that most people have no meaningful say over government decision-making. Yes, we can elect our rulers. But then they rule, and we often have little power over what they do. This leads to pervasive '
Trump has tapped into this insecurity. While Democrats defend electoral democracy, Trump highlights its flaws and offers a simple solution: If the rigged system doesn't give you a voice, he will. Regardless of whether he follows through, his promise of systemic change has been enough to win broad public support.
Our institutions of democracy are indeed outdated and inadequate. We need to do more than defend them; we must renew and expand them. It's time for an upgrade. It's time to build a new pillar of power, a House of the People.
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