Sign ups soar as thousands join the conversation on California’s new deliberative democracy platform

Why it matters

This marks a major achievement in creating a new option for Californians to have their voices heard. People who opted into the conversation are now engaging with each other and starting to set the priorities for the deliberation. Invitations take participants into the space where they answer questions, vote in favor of comments left by others, and respond to other comments. Participation in the space is anonymous and open for a limited time.

“Fire survivors are now actively communicating with us. And California is actively listening,” said California Government Operations Secretary Nick Maduros. “What we are seeing is the shaping of the conversation around recovery efforts from the people who are closest to the need.”

 

What is Engaged California?

Engaged California is a new platform that gives Californians a unique opportunity to share their thoughts and connect with other people on topics that are important to them. It creates new opportunities for Californians to connect with their government to inform and shape policy through honest, respectful discussions.

The program was launched in February with the first use case focusing on the impacts of the Los Angeles wildfires. Ongoing conversations help keep policies useful and up to date by reflecting the ideas and needs of the community, rather than solely relying on one round of feedback.

Engaged California represents a deep collaboration between California and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“Carnegie California is grateful to be on the ground floor, providing our expertise to inform the development of California’s deliberative democracy program,” said Ian Klaus, Founding Director of Carnegie California. “It is wonderful that California is committed to grounding this work in best practices from knowledge partners in the state and around the globe to improve public engagement and strengthen democracy with digital tools.”

This program was modeled after the successful efforts led by Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Minister of Digital Affairs. Speaking on a panel at SXSW 2025, Tang highlighted how technology can enhance civic engagement. She pointed to California’s role in leading this shift in the United States.

“Just a couple of weeks ago, Governor Newsom of California announced Engaged California with the same idea about plural listening on a very urgent topic—of how to recover from the wildfire in Eaton and Palisades in LA, and more topics afterwards,” Tang said. “So, we’re now seeing a new wave grounded in individual ideas that people have, and resonance people have with each other, without AI stepping in to replace a human’s role in decision making.”

The long-term goal is to create a sustainable model for deliberative democracy that can be used to discuss other significant issues in California.

Want to join?

Getting involved is simple, and your voice can make a real impact. And remember, this isn’t just a one-time input. Engaged California is a platform for ongoing dialogue where your ideas are heard and shared.

Stay tuned and get ready to participate. Sign up now at engaged.ca.gov to join the conversation.