What’s Different in the IQA and a Citizens’ Assembly?

Different IQA Citizens Assembly and Typical Citizens Assembly Responsibility, Function, and Authority

Someone entering the IQA Citizens Initiatives Qualifying Assembly or a Typical Citizens Assembly would notice little difference — the assemblies would look and sound very similar. Below the surface, however, there are many profound differences of responsibility, function, authority, and purpose as shown in the following table.

Initiatives Qualifying Assembly	Typical Citizens’ Assembly
Independent of government	Quasi-governmental organization
Budget approved annually by the People	Budget defined by government
Mandate defined by the People	Mandate defined by government
Meets in perpetuity with staggered terms	Meeting term defined by government
Enables checks and balances on federal government	Government controls its scope
Randomly selected from all Citizens eligible to vote	Randomly selected only from registered voters
As in a jury, those selected must serve to ensure immunity from special interest influence	Only those who ask or are willing need serve
	Could be influenced by special interests
IQA manages the initiatives process	Government manages the referendum
The People create proposed initiatives	The Assembly creates the proposed referendum for the ballot.
IQA ranks initiatives and puts the best on ballot