---
title: DemocracyNext
type: research
status: active
country: EU
website: https://www.demnext.org
logo: /assets/org-logos/democracy-next.png
contact:
  checked: 2026-07-30
  email: hello@demnext.org
  source: https://www.demnext.org/contact
summary: An international research institute focused on the theory and practice of
  sortition-based democracy — replacing elections with randomly selected assemblies
  as the primary decision-making mechanism.
concepts:
- citizens-assembly
- deliberative-democracy
- sortition
- isegoria
location:
  latitude: 55.6761
  longitude: 12.5683
  name: Copenhagen, Denmark
  precision: city
news_page: https://www.demnext.org/news
events:
- date: '2022-09-15'
  title: DemocracyNext launched on the International Day of Democracy
  url: https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/cc-demos/items/741221/en
  quote: Join the official launch of DemocracyNext on 15 September 2022, the International
    Day of Democracy.
  note: The European Commission's CC-DEMOS community of practice promoted DemocracyNext's
    official launch on International Democracy Day 2022, with founder and CEO Claudia
    Chwalisz presenting the institute's early plans alongside an advisory panel including
    Hélène Landemore, David Van Reybrouck and Art O'Leary.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-14'
  notable: true
- date: '2025-09-15'
  title: Published the 2024 Impact Report on the institute's third anniversary
  url: https://demnext.substack.com/p/looking-back-moving-forward-democracynexts
  quote: As we mark DemNext’s third birthday, and the International Day of Democracy,
    we’re thrilled to share our 2024 Impact Report.
  note: DemocracyNext marked its third anniversary on 15 September 2025 by publishing
    its 2024 Impact Report, covering stories from three flagship projects, the institute's
    evolving approach and a transparent look at its finances.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-14'
activity:
  manual:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    date: 2026-01-02
    note: website loaded. https://www.demnext.org/news mentions www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/02/uk-museums-embrace-citizens-assemblies-to-frame-their-futures
      2 January 2026 'How UK museums are embracing citizens’ assemblies to help frame
      their futures'
    url: https://www.demnext.org/news
  scrape:
    date: 2026-06-24
    note: Latest news page scraped
    url: https://www.demnext.org/news
    checked: 2026-08-17
  sitemap:
    checked: 2026-08-17
    date: 2026-07-29
    note: Page last modified (from sitemap)
    url: https://www.demnext.org/sitemaps-1-sitemap.xml
last_checked: '2026-06-15'
---

DemocracyNext (demnext.org) is a research institute whose position is that sortition should *replace* elections as the central mechanism of democratic governance — not merely complement them. This distinguishes it from organisations that treat citizens' assemblies as an add-on to existing representative systems.

The institute publishes research, convenes practitioners and theorists, and develops the intellectual case for sortition-based democracy — drawing on ancient Athenian practice, modern complexity theory, and the accumulated evidence from contemporary citizens' assemblies. It engages with both the theoretical questions (legitimacy, representation, deliberation quality) and the design questions (how to build stable institutions around random selection).

DemocracyNext is a useful reference for understanding the strongest case for sortition as a primary governance mechanism, as distinct from its use as a supplementary or advisory tool.

## Key people

- **Claudia Chwalisz** — founder. Previously led the OECD's work on innovative citizen participation, building the international evidence base for deliberative processes in public governance before founding DemocracyNext in 2022 to develop the full institutional case for sortition-based democracy.[^demnext]

## Links

- Website: [demnext.org](https://www.demnext.org)

## See also

- [Citizens' Assembly](../concepts/citizens-assembly.md)
- [Sortition](../concepts/sortition.md)
- [Isegoria](../concepts/isegoria.md)
- [newDemocracy Foundation](newdemocracy.md)

[^demnext]: "DemocracyNext is an international research & action institute focused on broadening who has power and enhancing how we make decisions together." [About](https://www.demnext.org/about), DemocracyNext.