Citizens should have a voice,
especially in trying times.

Citizens should have a voice, especially in trying times.

The Citizens' Panel on COVID-19 brought together everyday Americans to find common ground and point a way forward. They weighed expert testimony and made policy recommendations to guide the response to the pandemic.

The Panel was convened in Michigan, one of the states that most reflects our country's makeup as well as its deep divide.

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download

Read the report

In it panelists share their experience and present 12 policy recommendations directed toward municipal, county, and state government.

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download

A panel of the people

These citizen representatives came from all walks of life and reflected the population (see below). They brought with them different values, beliefs, and lived experiences.
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Race
  • Schooling
  • Geography
  • Politics
  • Views

The Panel generally reflected the different ages in the population, although it was slightly more middle-aged than Michigan as a whole. More flexibility was afforded here than with gender, race, or people’s views on politics and coronavirus. This was based on the government’s 2019 census projections.

The Panel had an even gender balance of 15 men and 15 women, which accurately reflected the population. This was based on the government’s 2019 census projections.

The Panel closely reflected the proportions of different racial backgrounds of Michigan. This was based on the government’s 2019 census projections.

The Panel generally reflected the amount of schooling in the population, with a slight over-representation of those with some college or a degree. More flexibility was afforded here than with gender, race, or people’s views on politics and coronavirus. This was based on the government’s 2019 census projections.

The Panel generally reflected the geographic makeup of Michigan, with slight over-representation of regions with very small percentages of the population. These regions came from the government’s MI Safe Start Plan.

The Panel accurately reflected the political views of the population. This was based on Gallup’s State Ideological Identification data from 2018.

The Panel reflected the different levels of concern in Michigan regarding coronavirus, as well as people’s feelings about the Governor’s response to the outbreak. This was based on June 2020 Nationscape data from Democracy Fund’s Voter Study Group.

selected without
parties or campaigns

The Panel was selected through a democratic lottery (see video on right), to avoid the corruption, politicization, and disenfranchisement that characterize elections.
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that weighed expert testimony

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Speakers

  • Dr. May Darwish-Yassine, Chief Program Officer
    Michigan Public Health Institute     – mphi.org
    Masters in Epidemiology and Ph.D. in Epidemiologic Science
  • Tammy Clark, Executive Director
    Stand Up Michigan     – standupmichigan.com
    OSHA Certified Specialist at Tammy K. Clark Companies, LLC
  • Dr. Sarah Lyon-Callo, Director and State Epidemiologist
    Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
    Bureau of Epidemiology and Population Health – michigan.gov/mdhhs
    Masters in Epidemiology and Ph.D. in Epidemiologic Science
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Speakers

  • Salli Pung, State Long Term Care Ombudsman
    State Long Term Care Ombudsman – mltcop.org
    Michigan Elder Justice Initiative – meji.org
  • Michelle Roberts, Executive Director
    Disability Rights Michigan – drmich.org
    Co-chair of the National Disability Rights Network Advocacy Work Group
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Speakers

  • Dr. Paul E. Kilgore, Senior Investigator
    Global Health Initiative of the Henry Ford Health System – henryford.co
    Also the Associate Professor & Director of Research
    Wayne State University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
  • Dr. Nigel Paneth, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Pediatrics
    Michigan State University – epi.msu.edu
    Doctor of Medicine and Masters of Public Health
  • Dr. Patricia Brown, Professor of Medicine
    Wayne State University Medical School – med.wayne.edu
    Also the Associate Chief of Staff for Medicine
    John D. Dingell VA Medical Center – detroit.va.gov
    Doctor of Medicine

Slides

Slides from Paul Kilgore of Henry Ford Health System
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Speakers

  • Evan Anderson, Chief Strategist
    Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity     – michigan.gov/leo
  • Michele Evermore, Senior Policy Analyst
    National Employment Law Project – nelp.org

Slides

Slides from Evan Anderson of LEO

Slides from Kevin Stotts of Talent 2025
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Speakers

  • Amanda Bright McClanahan – Chief Operating Officer
    Michigan Economic Development Corporation     – michiganbusiness.org

Slides

Slides from Gabe Rodriguez of MERC

On Health

  • Diane Goddeeris, RN and Interim Executive Director of the Michigan Nurses Association
  • Melissa Boals, RN and Director at Large of the Michigan Nurses Association
  • Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association
  • Adam Eickmeyer, Expert on LGBTQ+ Health and Lecturer at the University of Michigan
  • Jackie Prokop, Policy Program Director at MI Department of Health and Human Services
  • Jo Murphy, Executive Director of the Michigan Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program
  • Stephen Kemp, Director of Kemp Funeral Home & Cremation Services

On the Economy

  • Robert Scott III, Great Lakes Region Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration 
  • Justin Winslow, President and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association
  • Ryan Sebolt, Director of Government Affairs of the Michigan State AFL-CIO
  • Kevin Moore, President at Teamsters Local 299, Trustee at Teamsters Joint Council 43

On Education

  • Tanya Pitkin, Board of Directors of the Michigan Parent Teachers Association
  • David Hecker, President of American Federation of Teachers of Michigan
  • Daniel Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities
  • Mike Hansen, President of the Michigan Community College Association
  • Ben DeGrow, Director of Education Policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Dave Tebo, Superintendent of Hamilton Community Schools in Hamilton, Michigan
  • Mark Thomas, Principal of Northview High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan

On Public Policy

  • Michael Van Beek, Director of Research at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Eric Lupher, President of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan
  • Peter Ruark, Senior Policy Analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy
  • Ron Armstrong, Co-Founder of Stand Up Michigan, Co-Chair of Unlock Michigan
  • Kelly Rose, Chief Housing Solutions Officer at MI State Housing Development Authority
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and found
common ground.

They didn’t all agree on everything, but these Americans from across the political spectrum worked together. They reached 70-90% agreement on the policy recommendations they developed. And many were transformed in the process.

Watch the
public release

Watch the
public release

So if you're ready to feel inspired for a change,
sign up to see the documentary
coming in 2022

So if you're ready to feel inspired for a change, sign up to see the documentary coming in 2022

Preview Signup Form

Who was behind this?

This was an independent
non-partisan
initiative

The Citizens’ Panel on COVID-19 was organized and funded by a grassroots, non-partisan, non-profit called of by for. The Panel’s facilitated process was designed and overseen by Robin Harkless, a professional moderator who has facilitated similar citizens’ bodies in Oregon, Minnesota, California, and Arizona.

The democratic lottery was conducted in partnership with Panelot, a team of computer scientists from Harvard and Carnegie Mellon University.

Adam Cronkright

Co-Coordinator

George Zisiadis

Co-Coordinator

Robin Harkless

Lead Moderator

Austin Talley

Lead Producer

Olivia Talley

Assistant Producer

Jeff Hayes

Moderator

Becca Kearl

Moderator

Tina Patterson

Moderator

Lauren Rauch

Moderator

Rahmin Sarabi

Moderator Support

Payton Silket

Moderator

Ben Whiting

Moderator

Our mission is to free America from parties and politicians, and make it so government finally does right by its people.

Our mission is to free America from parties and politicians, and make it so government finally does right by its people.

Home
Citizens' Panel
About

About us

We’re a non-partisan movement-building organization. We don’t take sides on any issues and we don’t take money with strings attached. Our team spans the country and the political spectrum. We have different views on substantive issues but we’re united in our conviction that government should be of, by, and for the people.

Co-coordinators

Adam Cronkright

Adam has over a decade of experience in the field and was instrumental in the launch of Democracy R&D, a network of close to 40 organizations advancing democratic lotteries in 18 countries around the world. Frustrated that this promising vision wasn't reaching people, he became the leading voice for shifting this field's failed approach to communication and to bringing about change.

Before dedicating himself to of by for*, Adam co-founded and led Democracy In Practice, whose work reinventing student government with democratic lotteries was a finalist for the Council of Europe’s 2016 Democracy Innovation Award. It was also featured on Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, in a Season 5 episode called The Powerball Revolution.

Adam Cronkright

Adam has over a decade of experience in the field and was instrumental in the launch of Democracy R&D, a network of close to 40 organizations advancing democratic lotteries in 18 countries around the world. Frustrated that this promising vision wasn't reaching people, he became the leading voice for shifting this field's failed approach to communication and to bringing about change.

Before dedicating himself to of by for*, Adam co-founded and led Democracy In Practice, whose work reinventing student government with democratic lotteries was a finalist for the Council of Europe’s 2016 Democracy Innovation Award. It was also featured on Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, in a Season 5 episode called The Powerball Revolution.

George Zisiadis

George's career put him at the center of paradigm-shifting efforts in the worlds of technology, art, and design. But he eventually felt a call to dedicate his talents to helping turn our troubled country around. So he studied the history of social change from past to present. And along the way, he discovered the transformative promise of having citizens called upon to serve.

George Zisiadis

George's career put him at the center of paradigm-shifting efforts in the worlds of technology, art, and design. But he eventually felt a call to dedicate his talents to helping turn our troubled country around. So he studied the history of social change from past to present. And along the way, he discovered the transformative promise of having citizens called upon to serve.

Our advisors

Our advisors are some of the most prominent academic and cultural leaders in this field. Some of the most well-known include:

Jane Mansbridge
Democratic Theorist
Harvard Kennedy School
James Fishkin
Director of Stanford's
Center for Deliberative Democracy
Lawrence Lessig
Constitutional Scholar &
Anti-Corruption Campaigner
Debilyn Molineaux
Co-founder & Executive Director
Bridge Alliance
Wendy Willis
Executive Director
Deliberative Democracy Consortium
John Pudner
Executive Director
Take Back Our Republic

David Schechter – Democracy R&D

Lynn Carson – newDemocracy Foundation

Yves Dejaeghere – G1000

Chris Ellis – MASS LBP

Terry Bouricius – Vermont House of Representatives (formerly)

Hélène Landemore – Yale University

Brett Hennig – Sortition Foundation

Marcin Gerwin – PhD & Citizens’ Assembly Practitioner

Manuel Arriaga – Fórum dos Cidadãos

Liz Berry – Pol.is

Perry Rosenstein – Hustle

Patrick Chalmers – All Hands On

Renn Vara – SNP Communications

Michael Pappas – San Francisco Interfaith Council

Jamie Kelsey-Fry – Extinction Rebellion & New Internationalist

Oscar Olivera – Fundación Abril

Sally Morton – Sunrise Movement

Douglas Atkin – Airbnb & Purpose

Chelsea Robinson – Generation Zero

Rahmin Sarabi – Commonweal

Micah Daigle – Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Our partners

of by for* is an active member of Democracy R&D, an international network of organizations (see map) and individuals working with Citizens’ Panels and other similar processes.

Donate
Contact

Contact us

Jobs

Our mission is to free America from parties and politicians, and make it so government finally does right by its people.

Our mission is to free America from parties and politicians, and make it so government finally does right by its people.

Home
Citizens' Panel
About

About us

We’re a non-partisan movement-building organization. We don’t take sides on any issues and we don’t take money with strings attached. Our team spans the country and the political spectrum. We have different views on substantive issues but we’re united in our conviction that government should be of, by, and for the people.

Co-coordinators

Adam Cronkright

Adam has over a decade of experience in the field and was instrumental in the launch of Democracy R&D, a network of close to 40 organizations advancing democratic lotteries in 18 countries around the world. Frustrated that this promising vision wasn't reaching people, he became the leading voice for shifting this field's failed approach to communication and to bringing about change.

Before dedicating himself to of by for*, Adam co-founded and led Democracy In Practice, whose work reinventing student government with democratic lotteries was a finalist for the Council of Europe’s 2016 Democracy Innovation Award. It was also featured on Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, in a Season 5 episode called The Powerball Revolution.

Adam Cronkright

Adam has over a decade of experience in the field and was instrumental in the launch of Democracy R&D, a network of close to 40 organizations advancing democratic lotteries in 18 countries around the world. Frustrated that this promising vision wasn't reaching people, he became the leading voice for shifting this field's failed approach to communication and to bringing about change.

Before dedicating himself to of by for*, Adam co-founded and led Democracy In Practice, whose work reinventing student government with democratic lotteries was a finalist for the Council of Europe’s 2016 Democracy Innovation Award. It was also featured on Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, in a Season 5 episode called The Powerball Revolution.

George Zisiadis

George's career put him at the center of paradigm-shifting efforts in the worlds of technology, art, and design. But he eventually felt a call to dedicate his talents to helping turn our troubled country around. So he studied the history of social change from past to present. And along the way, he discovered the transformative promise of having citizens called upon to serve.

George Zisiadis

George's career put him at the center of paradigm-shifting efforts in the worlds of technology, art, and design. But he eventually felt a call to dedicate his talents to helping turn our troubled country around. So he studied the history of social change from past to present. And along the way, he discovered the transformative promise of having citizens called upon to serve.

Our advisors

Our advisors are some of the most prominent academic and cultural leaders in this field. Some of the most well-known include:

Jane Mansbridge
Democratic Theorist
Harvard Kennedy School
James Fishkin
Director of Stanford's
Center for Deliberative Democracy
Lawrence Lessig
Constitutional Scholar &
Anti-Corruption Campaigner
Debilyn Molineaux
Co-founder & Executive Director
Bridge Alliance
Wendy Willis
Executive Director
Deliberative Democracy Consortium
John Pudner
Executive Director
Take Back Our Republic

David Schechter – Democracy R&D

Lynn Carson – newDemocracy Foundation

Yves Dejaeghere – G1000

Chris Ellis – MASS LBP

Terry Bouricius – Vermont House of Representatives (formerly)

Hélène Landemore – Yale University

Brett Hennig – Sortition Foundation

Marcin Gerwin – PhD & Citizens’ Assembly Practitioner

Manuel Arriaga – Fórum dos Cidadãos

Liz Berry – Pol.is

Perry Rosenstein – Hustle

Patrick Chalmers – All Hands On

Renn Vara – SNP Communications

Michael Pappas – San Francisco Interfaith Council

Jamie Kelsey-Fry – Extinction Rebellion & New Internationalist

Oscar Olivera – Fundación Abril

Sally Morton – Sunrise Movement

Douglas Atkin – Airbnb & Purpose

Chelsea Robinson – Generation Zero

Rahmin Sarabi – Commonweal

Micah Daigle – Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Our partners

of by for* is an active member of Democracy R&D, an international network of organizations (see map) and individuals working with Citizens’ Panels and other similar processes.

Donate
Contact

Contact us

Jobs