Iceland's crowdsourced constitution (2010–2013)
After its 2008 banking collapse shattered public trust, Iceland attempted something unprecedented: rewriting its constitution with ordinary citizens at the centre, using random selection and open crowdsourcing. The process produced a widely-praised draft that two-thirds of voters approved — and that parliament then quietly shelved.
At a glance
Section titled “At a glance”| Process type | Constitutional process: random-selection forum + drafting council + crowdsourcing |
| When | 2010–2013 (National Forum Nov 2010; draft 2011; referendum Oct 2012) |
| Where | Iceland |
| Convened by | The Althingi (Icelandic parliament), after the 2008 financial crash |
| Participants | A National Forum of ~950 randomly selected citizens; a 25-member Constitutional Council (elected, with sitting politicians barred) |
| The question | Should Iceland adopt a new constitution, and on what values and terms? |
| Cost | Not published |
What happened
Section titled “What happened”In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the Althingi launched a constitutional review. A National Forum of around 950 randomly selected citizens met in November 2010 and identified the core values a new constitution should reflect. A 25-member Constitutional Council — elected, but with sitting politicians barred from standing — then drafted the text, working unusually in the open: drafts were posted online and the public could comment via social media, a pioneering use of crowdsourcing in constitution-making.
Inputs → outputs
Section titled “Inputs → outputs”In: the values set by the citizens’ forum, the Council’s drafting, and crowdsourced public comment.
Out: a complete draft constitution (2011), including provisions on public ownership of natural resources and the environment.
Impact
Section titled “Impact”In an October 2012 advisory referendum, about two-thirds of voters backed the draft as the basis for a new constitution. But the Althingi never passed it: the process stalled amid political opposition and procedural objections, and the citizen-drafted constitution was never adopted. It remains the most-studied example of participatory constitution-making — both for how far it got and for how it was ultimately blocked.
How it went
Section titled “How it went”Internationally, Iceland’s process is celebrated as a landmark in open, participatory democracy — randomly selected citizens setting the agenda, a drafting council kept clear of sitting politicians, and genuine public crowdsourcing. It’s also a cautionary tale about the “last mile”: a legitimate, popular draft can still die if the institutions that must ratify it decline to. The episode is central to Hélène Landemore’s argument for open democracy.