FORMING A CONSENSUS BUILDING TASK FORCE
Building Legislative Consensus
The Legislative Consensus Project
A consensus building task force can help any legislature craft optimal measures. It usually takes the following steps:
1. Leaders decide an issue warrants a special task force.
2. Leaders ask candidates for the task force to submit position statements.
3. These statements are circulated in the legislature.
4. Any blocs that find none of the candidates right for them have to recruit candidates.
5. Position statements of those candidates are circulated.
6. Leaders decide the size of the task force, or decide to limit it to candidates who get a minimum number of supporters.
7. All lawmakers pick a representative from among the candidates.
8. The candidate with the fewest supporters is out of the running. His or her supporters make a second choice. This step is repeated until the task force reaches the size decided.
9. A chairperson is selected.
10. The staff is appointed.
11. A preliminary meeting schedule is set. The schedule should include time slots when there are no other legislative activities, so that all lawmakers can caucus with their task force representatives. As the negotiations progress, these caucuses will help the task force build support for its work, and serve as a reality check.