Deliberative assembly

A deliberative assembly is a group of members (of any kind of bigger group) who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions.

Characteristics

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised describes the following characteristics of a deliberative assembly:

• A group of people meets to talk about and make decisions for the entire membership.
• They meet in a single room or area.
• Each member is able to act how they want to.
• Each member has an equal vote.
• The members at the meeting act for the entire group, even if there are members gone.

Kinds of assemblies

Mass meeting

See the main article: Mass meeting

A mass meeting, which is an unorganized group meeting open to all individuals in a sector of the population who are interested in deliberating about a subject proposed by the meeting's sponsors. Examples include meetings to discuss common political concerns or community interests.

Local assembly of an organized society

See the main article: Voluntary association

A local assembly of an organized society, which is a membership meeting of a local chapter or branch of a membership organization. Examples include local chapter meetings of organizations like the Sierra Club.

Convention

See the main article: Convention (meeting)

A convention, which is a meeting of members who represent constituent units of a population. Conventions are not permanent, and delegates are normally selected for a short time.

Legislative body

See the main article: Legislature

A legislative body, which is a legally created group that makes laws. It is made up of representatives chosen by voters. Examples include national legislatures such as parliaments, and local governments such as state legislatures, regional assemblies and city councils.

Board

See the main article: Board of directors

A board gets its power from an outside authority that says what the board can and cannot do. Examples include an organized society's or company's board of directors and government agency boards like a board of education.

Committees

See the main article: Committee

A committee is a group of one or more persons that is part of a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a kind of assembly.