ISSUE #28
OCTOBER 2025
Braver Angels, VOP Partner For Federal Budget Civic Engagement Event
| As Congress struggles with the ongoing government shutdown, residents of Ohio’s 7th and 13th districts recently took democracy into their own hands. Through a public consultation survey conducted by Voice of the People and an in-person forum hosted by Braver Angels, Republicans and Democrats created their own federal budgets, finding far more common ground than Congress. Bipartisan majorities recommended changes that would nearly cut the federal deficit in half, reducing it by $820 billion. Their proposals included raising revenue by increasing taxes on high incomes, corporations and wealth, while offering tax relief on tips and overtime pay. They also endorsed modest spending increases for Medicaid and SNAP. At the forum in Brecksville, attendees urged Representatives Miller (R) and Sykes (D) to consider these recommendations in the 2026 budget. Braver Angels and VOP are hoping that this project will help constituents more constructively engage with their elected officials, help officials be more responsive to their constituents and serve as a starting point for improving democracy across the nation. |
ICYMI: PPC AI Data Featured In Government Technology
| Government Technology spotlighted the Program for Public Consultation’s (PPC) survey work on public views on regulating artificial intelligence technologies. The article highlights findings from PPC’s national survey showing strong bipartisan support for requirements for safety and bias testing, audits and training data disclosure. These insights come as policymakers weigh how to balance innovation with accountability, making PPC’s research a key part of the national conversation. Read the full article in Government Technology. |
Ukraine to Launch Citizens’ Assemblies with Council of Europe Support
| The Council of Europe has announced support for three upcoming citizens’ assemblies in Ukraine, designed to strengthen local democracy and public participation during the country’s recovery. The initiative will begin in Kyiv’s Obolon district in 2025, followed by assemblies in Rivne and the Lviv agglomeration in 2026. These assemblies will follow Council of Europe standards and methodology, giving everyday citizens the opportunity to deliberate on key issues facing their communities. The project, “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery,” marks a significant step toward embedding deliberative democracy in Ukraine’s rebuilding process. |
Americans Want Strong AI Oversight
| Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant concept. It’s embedded in our daily lives, powering everything from customer service chatbots to bank lending systems. But as AI grows more powerful, so do concerns about its impact. While the White House recently argued that heavy regulation could stifle innovation, surveys show bipartisan majorities of Americans want stronger regulation, especially in areas where AI can shape lives, influence politics or control weapons. AI programs are increasingly making decisions that affect health care, banking, hiring and even criminal justice. Legislators in the US and abroad have proposed vetting such AI programs before and after deployment – a measure that a recent PPC survey has found to be popular across party lines. Eight in ten Americans favor requiring AI systems that make impactful decisions to pass a government test before use, to ensure they do not have biases, follow the law, and have robust security protections (Republicans 84% and Democrats 81%). For programs already in use, 78% support government audits of AI systems already in use. And to aid in testing and auditing, 74% favor requiring companies to disclose how their AI was trained. These levels of support have remained consistent over the last year, when PPC first asked about these proposals. Other surveys have found high levels of support for regulating AI, and the government taking a proactive approach, even if it means slower development. A recent Gallup poll found that 80% of Americans support “maintaining rules for AI safety and data security, even if it means developing AI capabilities at a slower rate.” Likewise, in an April 2025 survey by Pew Research Center, 58% of U.S. adults and 56% of AI experts said they are concerned that government regulation of AI will “not go far enough.” AI-generated deepfakes in particular are quickly impacting social and political narratives and aiding in scams. Americans overwhelmingly support new rules to rein them in. PPC found that 80% want a ban on deepfakes in political ads, and 80% want all deepfake content clearly labeled. As one respondent put it, “Purposefully putting out misleading videos and pictures to the public as the truth will be the downfall of any democratic society.” A September 2025 survey by Boston University’s Center for Communication Research found that 84% of respondents agree that “individuals should be protected from the unauthorized use of their voice and visual likeness,” and the same percentage agreed that “A.I. generated content posted to social media platforms should be clearly labeled and watermarked.” The survey found bipartisan agreement on these issues, with 84% of Republicans agreeing on protections against “deepfakes,” following closely the 90% of Democrats that agreed on the same issue. “In this confusing environment, one principle has strong bipartisan support: the public overwhelmingly agrees that everyone’s voice and image should be protected from unauthorized AI-generated recreations,” said Michelle Amazeen, Boston University associate professor and CRC director. |