Deliberative Democracy Policy Position Paper

Using Deliberative Democracy to Solve the Principal–Agent Problem in Local Government

Overview

One of the greatest challenges in local government is maintaining strong alignment between the community and the elected members who serve them. Economists call this the principal–agent problem — when those entrusted to act on behalf of others begin operating with different information, incentives, or perspectives than those they represent.

In the Council context:

• The community are the principals.

• Elected members are the agents.

  
  

While councillors genuinely aim to represent community interests, information filters, lobbying pressures, and bureaucratic complexity often create a disconnect. Over time, decisions can drift away from the full breadth of community priorities, eroding trust and confidence.

The Solution: Deliberative Democracy

Deliberative democracy offers a modern, evidence-based approach to reduce that disconnect.

It is built on a simple principle: listen before deciding.

Instead of relying solely on traditional submissions or surveys (which often capture the loudest voices), deliberative democracy creates structured opportunities for informed public dialogue — so elected members hear from a representative cross-section of the community before major decisions are made.

Core principles:

• Inclusion — diverse, representative participation

• Information — balanced evidence and expert input

• Deliberation — respectful, reasoned discussion

• Transparency — clear reporting back to the wider public

  
  

The Mechanism: Citizens’ Assemblies

A Citizens’ Assembly is one of the most effective tools of deliberative democracy.

It brings together a randomly selected group of residents — reflective of the community’s demographics — to learn, deliberate, and recommend practical solutions to a defined issue.

For NPDC, examples could include:

• A New Plymouth Citizens Assembly on Growth and Infrastructure

• A District Panel on Transport and Safety

• A District Climate Resilience Assembly

  
  

These assemblies hear from experts, test trade-offs, and develop balanced recommendations. Councillors then use those insights to guide policy and investment decisions — backed by a credible community mandate.

How It Solves the Principal–Agent Problem

Challenge	Traditional Approach	Deliberative Approach
Information Gap	Council relies on narrow consultation and internal reports	Assemblies provide well-reasoned, community-generated evidence
Representation Drift	Councillors risk aligning with vocal minorities or lobby groups	Random selection ensures a true cross-section of the district
Trust Deficit	The public feels decisions are made behind closed doors	Transparent, participatory processes rebuild trust and legitimacy
Decision Quality	Limited insight into public trade-offs	Deeper understanding of community values and informed preferences

Through regular deliberative processes, councillors remain anchored to genuine community sentiment, reducing agency drift and strengthening the relationship between the Council and ratepayers.

Why It Matters

• Better decisions: Built on balanced evidence and shared understanding

• Greater trust: People can see themselves in the process

• More efficiency: Reduced public backlash, delays, and re-work

• Long-term resilience: Policy grounded in broad community legitimacy endures beyond election cycles

• Real democracy in action

  
  

Policy Commitment

As a councillor, I will advocate for:

1. Embedding deliberative engagement in major NPDC projects and Long-Term Plan reviews.

2. Piloting a Citizens’ Assembly on a key issue such as growth, climate, or affordability.

3. Ensuring clear reporting from assemblies to Council and the wider public.

4. Building Council capability in facilitation, community dialogue, and deliberative design.

5. Advocating for NPDC staff and councillors to adopt listening-based governance.

6. Transparent reporting back to the community on what’s heard and decided.

   
   

Conclusion

Deliberative democracy reestablishes the fundamental connection between the people and their representatives.

It tackles the principal–agent problem by ensuring councillors stay connected to the real, balanced, and informed voices of the community — not just the loudest ones.

It’s democracy done properly: listening, learning, and leading together.

Adrian Sole

For a council that listens before deciding.

📍 Kaitake–Ngāmotu Ward | adriansole.com