Nick Coccoma
@nickcoccoma.bsky.social
Founder of AssembleAmerica.org. Using Citizen Assemblies to put power in the hands of everyday people. Join a movement for Democracy by Assembly! #DxA
Pinned
Nick Coccoma
@nickcoccoma.bsky.social
· Apr 5
Time to save America. Citizens Assemblies are the way. Join @assembleamerica.org and our movement for Democracy by Assembly! #DxA
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
If you ever wondered what you would do in 1930s Germany, you have your answer. This is a spiritual emergency and we have to summon all our courage. We know what happens inside #Broadview is torture. For me it’s simple - I wouldn’t stay silent if they locked Jesus up there, and I won’t be silent now
NEW: In his first interview since his arrest for protesting outside the Chicago-area ICE facility, @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social tells me he has "bruises all over my body."
Even so, he said, “the cruelty that goes on that facility … must be 100 times worse." religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
Even so, he said, “the cruelty that goes on that facility … must be 100 times worse." religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
November 15, 2025 at 8:01 PM
If you ever wondered what you would do in 1930s Germany, you have your answer. This is a spiritual emergency and we have to summon all our courage. We know what happens inside #Broadview is torture. For me it’s simple - I wouldn’t stay silent if they locked Jesus up there, and I won’t be silent now
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Our very own @nickcoccoma.bsky.social joined The Democratic Constitution Blog to ask a basic question: what is democracy? (Hint: It's not elections, parties, or parliament.)
#democracy #citizensassembly #sortition #constitution
assemblingamerica.substack.com/cp/173659014
#democracy #citizensassembly #sortition #constitution
assemblingamerica.substack.com/cp/173659014
What is Democracy?
Sortition is fundamental
assemblingamerica.substack.com
September 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Our very own @nickcoccoma.bsky.social joined The Democratic Constitution Blog to ask a basic question: what is democracy? (Hint: It's not elections, parties, or parliament.)
#democracy #citizensassembly #sortition #constitution
assemblingamerica.substack.com/cp/173659014
#democracy #citizensassembly #sortition #constitution
assemblingamerica.substack.com/cp/173659014
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Stanford’s Jim Fishkin contrasts the ills of elections with the virtues of deliberative democracy:“In a healthy democracy, politics shouldn’t just be a contest of strength between parties — it should be a battle of ideas.”
#Democracy #Sortition
jacobin.com/2025/07/deli...
#Democracy #Sortition
jacobin.com/2025/07/deli...
Trust in the Demos Isn’t Naive — It’s Empirical
Democratic deliberation asks us to meet as moral equals, exchange reasons for our beliefs, consider evidence, and remain open to changing our minds. Evidence from real-world examples shows that it can...
jacobin.com
July 31, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Stanford’s Jim Fishkin contrasts the ills of elections with the virtues of deliberative democracy:“In a healthy democracy, politics shouldn’t just be a contest of strength between parties — it should be a battle of ideas.”
#Democracy #Sortition
jacobin.com/2025/07/deli...
#Democracy #Sortition
jacobin.com/2025/07/deli...
It was a pleasure to talk to Colin Pugh about Democracy by Assembly. Part I gets into the weeds—have a listen!
#Democracy #Sortition #CitizensAssembly
#Democracy #Sortition #CitizensAssembly
Our own @nickcoccoma.bsky.social appeared on the [Undetermined] States of America podcast recently to discuss all things sortition. Have listen to Part I.
#Democracy #Sortition #CitizensAssembly
www.undetermined.us/p/usa-ep-2-n...
#Democracy #Sortition #CitizensAssembly
www.undetermined.us/p/usa-ep-2-n...
[U]SA Ep. 2: Nick Coccoma from Assemble America (Part 1.)
I interview Nick Coccoma, founder and Executive Director of Assemble America
www.undetermined.us
July 31, 2025 at 3:31 PM
It was a pleasure to talk to Colin Pugh about Democracy by Assembly. Part I gets into the weeds—have a listen!
#Democracy #Sortition #CitizensAssembly
#Democracy #Sortition #CitizensAssembly
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Gonna further wager that if you used lotteries to pick everyday people from around the world to populate the UN, and made them equals inside the chamber, they’d resolve most global conflicts peacefully. #Sortition #CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #Democracy
June 22, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Gonna further wager that if you used lotteries to pick everyday people from around the world to populate the UN, and made them equals inside the chamber, they’d resolve most global conflicts peacefully. #Sortition #CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #Democracy
Gonna go out on a limb here: an assembly of everyday American citizens—picked by lottery, given the actual evidence and full range of options, and time to deliberate toward rough consensus—would not have decided to start a war with Iran. #Sortition #CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA
June 22, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Gonna go out on a limb here: an assembly of everyday American citizens—picked by lottery, given the actual evidence and full range of options, and time to deliberate toward rough consensus—would not have decided to start a war with Iran. #Sortition #CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Citizens Assemblies could legally constrain delegates at an Article V (some say "constitutional") convention, building democratic accountability into the amending process. So incredibly happy this truth is finally breaking through. Excellent article in the Fulcrum.
buff.ly/xuqihGo
buff.ly/xuqihGo
How Citizens’ Assemblies Can Rebuild the House of American Democracy—Before It’s Demolished
The house of the American republic is tottering. Once unthinkable, it’s now undeniable that our shared home has deteriorated the same way you go broke: gradually, then suddenly. At the time it was…
thefulcrum.us
June 12, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Citizens Assemblies could legally constrain delegates at an Article V (some say "constitutional") convention, building democratic accountability into the amending process. So incredibly happy this truth is finally breaking through. Excellent article in the Fulcrum.
buff.ly/xuqihGo
buff.ly/xuqihGo
Honored to write this piece for @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social, with Roshan Bliss of the NCDD
Our Executive Director, @nickcoccoma.bsky.social, has a new article out in @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social with Roshan Bliss of @ncdd.bsky.social on how citizen assemblies can help rewrite the Constitution.
#PeoplesConvention #CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA
thefulcrum.us/democracy/ar...
#PeoplesConvention #CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA
thefulcrum.us/democracy/ar...
How Citizens’ Assemblies Can Rebuild the House of American Democracy—Before It’s Demolished
The house of the American republic is tottering. Once unthinkable, it’s now undeniable that our shared home has deteriorated the same way you go broke: gradually, then suddenly. At the time it was bui...
thefulcrum.us
June 11, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Honored to write this piece for @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social, with Roshan Bliss of the NCDD
Ian Troesoyer on why it's time to upgrade the Constitution.
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #PeoplesConvention
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #PeoplesConvention
"When fundamental changes to a government are needed, who should get to make them? Elites and politicians who benefit from keeping things as they are? Or We the People?"
#DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy #CitizensAssembly
open.substack.com/pub/assembli...
#DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy #CitizensAssembly
open.substack.com/pub/assembli...
The People's Convention
It's Time to Upgrade the Constitution
open.substack.com
May 23, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Ian Troesoyer on why it's time to upgrade the Constitution.
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #PeoplesConvention
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #PeoplesConvention
Incisive post from @paul-melman.bsky.social: "Only by systematically building up our civilizational coordination capacity can we achieve the solarpunk yogurt commercial utopia we dream of." Amen!
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #AI #AGI
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #AI #AGI
Assemble America's @paul-melman.bsky.social is back at it this week with a shrewd post on the implications of AGI for democracy by assembly.
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #Democracy #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #AI #AGI
open.substack.com/pub/unfacts/...
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #Democracy #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #AI #AGI
open.substack.com/pub/unfacts/...
If My AGI Timeline Is So Short, Why Am I Working on Sortition?
I was at a political networking event recently and as is typical for the kind of scene that I hang out in, the conversation eventually turned to AGI timelines.
open.substack.com
May 16, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Incisive post from @paul-melman.bsky.social: "Only by systematically building up our civilizational coordination capacity can we achieve the solarpunk yogurt commercial utopia we dream of." Amen!
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #AI #AGI
#Democracy #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #Sortition #AI #AGI
Fascinating new post from @paul-melman.bsky.social about the way citizen assemblies can help government "see" reality better.
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy
"Sortition does not merely offer a more demographically representative body," writes our team member, Paul.
"It provides a superior epistemic engine."
Read all of his enlightening new piece!
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy
open.substack.com/pub/assembli...
"It provides a superior epistemic engine."
Read all of his enlightening new piece!
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy
open.substack.com/pub/assembli...
Seeing the Forest and the Trees
How Randomly Selected Citizens Can Fix Government's Hazy Vision
open.substack.com
May 12, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Fascinating new post from @paul-melman.bsky.social about the way citizen assemblies can help government "see" reality better.
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention #Sortition #Democracy
The papal #conclave would be so much easier and free of factionalism if they used #sortition. Not to mention divinely inspired:
“Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...
“Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...
Bible Gateway passage: Acts 1:23-26 - New International Version
So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this...
www.biblegateway.com
May 8, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The papal #conclave would be so much easier and free of factionalism if they used #sortition. Not to mention divinely inspired:
“Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...
“Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...
With Terry Bouricius coming out with a new book, now’s a good time to revisit my conversation with him in 2023.
Terry Bouricius is one of most visionary thinkers on democracy. On this podcast episode, he explains how he discovered citizen assemblies and why he now considers himself a "recovering politician." Check it out!
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssemby
open.substack.com/pub/nickcocc...
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssemby
open.substack.com/pub/nickcocc...
Terry Bouricius on Democracy
The Theory and Practice of Sortition
open.substack.com
May 5, 2025 at 8:03 PM
With Terry Bouricius coming out with a new book, now’s a good time to revisit my conversation with him in 2023.
America needs to build a new house of our republic. Athenian democracy shows us how to do it.
#CitizensAssembly #Sortition #DemocracyByAssembly
#CitizensAssembly #Sortition #DemocracyByAssembly
How do we build a new house for American democracy? The blueprint was laid 2,500 years ago.
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention
open.substack.com/pub/assembli...
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention
open.substack.com/pub/assembli...
Why Greece Was Great
And How America Could Be Too
open.substack.com
April 26, 2025 at 2:42 PM
America needs to build a new house of our republic. Athenian democracy shows us how to do it.
#CitizensAssembly #Sortition #DemocracyByAssembly
#CitizensAssembly #Sortition #DemocracyByAssembly
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Sortition: a whole new spin on gig work.
#DemocracyByAssembly
#DxA
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
#DemocracyByAssembly
#DxA
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
What if your side hustle is being in Congress? An exploration of #sortition and #directdemocracy By JK Lund
www.elysian.press/p/what-if-yo...
www.elysian.press/p/what-if-yo...
What if your side hustle is being in Congress?
The future of democracy is direct, online, and doesn't require politicians.
www.elysian.press
April 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Sortition: a whole new spin on gig work.
#DemocracyByAssembly
#DxA
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
#DemocracyByAssembly
#DxA
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
🔥TOXIC TRIBALISM🔥
Partisan politics turn neighbors into enemies:
• Family dinners ruined by arguments
• Communities divided by signs
• Issues reduced to slogans
Citizen Assemblies bring Americans together to listen
Imagine politics that heals, not hurts
#DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Partisan politics turn neighbors into enemies:
• Family dinners ruined by arguments
• Communities divided by signs
• Issues reduced to slogans
Citizen Assemblies bring Americans together to listen
Imagine politics that heals, not hurts
#DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention
April 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
🔥TOXIC TRIBALISM🔥
Partisan politics turn neighbors into enemies:
• Family dinners ruined by arguments
• Communities divided by signs
• Issues reduced to slogans
Citizen Assemblies bring Americans together to listen
Imagine politics that heals, not hurts
#DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Partisan politics turn neighbors into enemies:
• Family dinners ruined by arguments
• Communities divided by signs
• Issues reduced to slogans
Citizen Assemblies bring Americans together to listen
Imagine politics that heals, not hurts
#DemocracyByAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Escape the Matrix. Enter the Assembly.
AssembleAmerica.org
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention
AssembleAmerica.org
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention
April 18, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Time for a new house. Time for a real democracy.
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention
The house of the American Republic was built for the People. Now it's crumbling:
• Constitutional foundations weakened by corruption
• Institutional walls eroded by extremists
• Democratic roof leaking away our rights and freedom
• Constitutional foundations weakened by corruption
• Institutional walls eroded by extremists
• Democratic roof leaking away our rights and freedom
April 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Time for a new house. Time for a real democracy.
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention
#CitizensAssembly #DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #PeoplesConvention
This is what democracy actually looks like.
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #DemocracyByAssembly
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #DemocracyByAssembly
CITIZENS' ASSEMBLIES: Democracy's upgrade
From Ireland to Oregon, everyday people are solving problems politicians can't:
• Ireland's Assembly broke decades of constitutional deadlock, with recommendations on marriage equality and abortion passing national referendums with 62-66% support
From Ireland to Oregon, everyday people are solving problems politicians can't:
• Ireland's Assembly broke decades of constitutional deadlock, with recommendations on marriage equality and abortion passing national referendums with 62-66% support
April 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
This is what democracy actually looks like.
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #DemocracyByAssembly
#CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #DemocracyByAssembly
Reposted by Nick Coccoma
Citizen Assemblies break this cycle through democratic lottery — like jury duty but for ideas.
Teachers. Veterans. Nurses. People like us, deciding for us.
Join our quest for a People's Convention by 2030
#DemocracyByAssembly #TakeBackOurHouse #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Teachers. Veterans. Nurses. People like us, deciding for us.
Join our quest for a People's Convention by 2030
#DemocracyByAssembly #TakeBackOurHouse #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
April 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Citizen Assemblies break this cycle through democratic lottery — like jury duty but for ideas.
Teachers. Veterans. Nurses. People like us, deciding for us.
Join our quest for a People's Convention by 2030
#DemocracyByAssembly #TakeBackOurHouse #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Teachers. Veterans. Nurses. People like us, deciding for us.
Join our quest for a People's Convention by 2030
#DemocracyByAssembly #TakeBackOurHouse #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention
Bypass politicians. Democracy by Assembly.
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #TakeBackOurHouse
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #TakeBackOurHouse
⚠️ DEMOCRACY WARNING ⚠️
• Congress: 80% millionaires. America: >5% millionaires.
• Members spend 70% of time fundraising instead of solving problems
• When donors and voters disagree on policy, donors win
Who's really in charge? (Hint: Not you)
• Congress: 80% millionaires. America: >5% millionaires.
• Members spend 70% of time fundraising instead of solving problems
• When donors and voters disagree on policy, donors win
Who's really in charge? (Hint: Not you)
April 15, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Bypass politicians. Democracy by Assembly.
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #TakeBackOurHouse
#DemocracyByAssembly #DxA #CitizensAssembly #PeoplesConvention #TakeBackOurHouse