Where Is Your Voice in Maryland's Government?
Democracy in Maryland has become a spectator sport. Residents are invited to "participate" in processes designed to ignore them. Public comment periods change nothing. Hearings are scheduled when working people can't attend. "Stakeholder engagement" sessions serve as rubber stamps for decisions already made. The gap between what Maryland's leaders promise and what they deliver has never been wider.
This is not an accident. Maryland's political establishment has perfected the art of performative democracy. They create the appearance of public input while ensuring that real decisions remain in the hands of lobbyists, campaign donors, and the professional political class. When the Public Service Commission holds hearings on utility rate hikes, the outcome is predetermined. When legislators draft the state budget, the public learns what's in it after the deals are done. When school boards are appointed, parents discover the results in press releases.
Grassroots democracy means more than voting every two or four years. It means building the civic muscles and civil society that allow communities to deliberate, disagree constructively, and shape the decisions that affect their lives. It means creating spaces where ordinary Marylanders can engage meaningfully with their elected officials and with each other. Right now, Maryland lacks the infrastructure to make that kind of participation possible.
So What Do We Do Now?
The Green Party is committed to building a culture of everyday civic engagement by funding the institutions that make democratic participation real. We will invest in libraries, schools, and deliberative processes that connect residents to power. We will create new pathways for Marylanders to shape government decisions directly, from local budgets to statewide policy, using models proven to work in communities across America and around the world.
Together, we can transform Maryland into a state where democracy isn't something that happens to people, but something people do together. We can build civic infrastructure that pushes power out to people and communities, institutions designed to strengthen the bonds between neighbors and between residents and their government.
Join us in building a Maryland where every voice matters, not just at the ballot box, but in the everyday work of self-governance!
The National Green Party on Participatory Democracy
Since its founding, the Green Party of the United States has championed grassroots democracy as one of its four foundational pillars. The national platform calls for "a democracy in which all citizens have the right to participate in the decisions which affect their lives" and explicitly endorses participatory budgeting, citizen assemblies, and deliberative democracy reforms.
The Green Party has long recognized that electoral politics alone cannot produce the deep changes our communities need. Voting is necessary but insufficient. Genuine democracy requires building the civic capacities of ordinary people to engage with complex issues, deliberate across differences, and hold power accountable between elections. This commitment sets Greens apart from both major parties, which treat voters as passive consumers of pre-packaged policy positions.
Across the country, Green candidates and activists have pushed for participatory reforms at every level of government. They have fought for neighborhood councils with real authority and state-level citizen assemblies on controversial issues. These efforts build on decades of international experience showing that when residents are given real information, real time, and real stakes, they make thoughtful decisions that often outperform those of professional politicians.
Maryland Greens and Democratic Reform
Maryland Greens have been at the forefront of battles to open up the state's political system. We have fought for participatory budgeting, built debate teams and leagues, and demanded our campuses have an open exchange of ideas and arguments. We understand firsthand how Maryland's political establishment works to limit democratic choice.
While Maryland Democrats and Republicans have given lip service to "civic engagement," their actions tell a different story. Both parties have resisted participatory budgeting, ignored calls for citizen assemblies, and maintained a public hearing system that serves insiders rather than the public. The result is a state government that feels distant and unresponsive. A citizenry that has largely checked out of public life.
We believe Marylanders are capable of governing themselves. Ordinary people, given the tools and the opportunity, can make wise decisions about the issues that affect their communities. Our job is to build the infrastructure that makes that participation possible.
Our Plan for Civic Engagement and Civil Society
Our plan for civic engagement is clear and evolving. We recognize that building democratic capacity is not a one-time project but an ongoing commitment. It requires sustained investment in civic institutions and genuine openness to new ideas. Every conversation we have with educators, librarians, community organizers, and Marylanders from all walks of life and all over the state helps shape the policies we propose.
Ultimately, our goal is to transform the relationship between Marylanders and their government. We envision a Maryland where residents don't just vote for representatives but work alongside them to craft solutions. Where young people learn the arts of argument and deliberation in school, carrying those skills into adult life. Where libraries serve as civic hubs for community dialogue and democratic participation. Where residents of every neighborhood have a real say in how public dollars are spent and major policy decisions are made.
We will continue refining the details with your input. This is an invitation to a conversation, not a finished blueprint. One we hope you'll join.
This policy is a work in progress and is consistently evolving That’s why we’re asking for your ideas. Join us in shaping a bold, community-driven path forward. Share your ideas at ideas@gogreen2026.com.
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Every Maryland student deserves the opportunity to learn how to research, reason, and argue effectively. Competitive debate teaches research, critical thinking, public speaking, and the ability to understand opposing viewpoints. These are skills essential for engaged residents. We will fund debate programs in all public elementary, middle, and high schools across the state, providing dedicated funding for coaches, materials, and tournament participation in every school district.
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Civic education shouldn't end at high school graduation. We will establish and expand debate programs at all Maryland community colleges, public colleges, and universities, creating pathways for students to deepen their skills in argumentation and public discourse. These programs will train the next generation of civic leaders: lawyers, teachers, organizers, and engaged residents. They will model productive disagreement on campuses too often marked by either political disengagement or unproductive conflict. University debate programs can also serve their surrounding communities, hosting public debates on local and state issues.
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Research from Ohio State University's Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability demonstrates that structured "deliberative town halls" dramatically increase trust in government and reduce partisan hostility. In these sessions, residents receive background information before engaging in facilitated discussion with their representatives. Studies have shown double-digit increases in approval of participating officials and reduced polarization by over 50 points in some cases. We will establish a statewide Deliberative Democracy Program that funds and facilitates such town halls for Maryland legislators, providing the infrastructure for meaningful constituent engagement on major policy questions.
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Libraries are democracy's infrastructure. They are free spaces where every Marylander can access information, attend community programs, and participate in public life. Maryland currently invests approximately $100 million in state library funding, including public library grants, the State Library Resource Center, and local library employee benefits. We will double this investment to $200 million, enabling expanded hours, enhanced collections, additional staff, and new programs focused on civic education and community dialogue. In an era of misinformation and declining local news, libraries are more essential than ever as trusted institutions that strengthen communities and democratic participation.
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Participatory budgeting gives residents direct control over how public money is spent in their communities. Since the 1990s, more than 11,000 cities and communities worldwide have used participatory budgeting to strengthen democracy and identify community needs often overlooked by conventional processes. We will establish pilot participatory budgeting programs for state discretionary funds and provide grants to local governments that implement their own programs. We will also task the University of Maryland system with developing research and technology to advance participatory budgeting, making Maryland a national leader in democratic innovation.
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Maryland Public Television exists to serve all Marylanders. Yet its political coverage largely reinforces the two-party duopoly. We will establish dedicated public policy programming on MPT that gives ballot-qualified political parties equal opportunity to present their platforms, explain their positions on major issues, and engage directly with viewers. This isn't about horse-race coverage or campaign ads. It's about substantive policy education that lets voters hear directly from parties across the political spectrum. MPT already produces excellent public affairs programming like State Circle and Direct Connection. Adding party-based policy programming would build on that tradition while ensuring Marylanders have access to the full range of political ideas competing for their support.
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On complex, contested issues like climate policy, healthcare, and criminal justice reform, Maryland should convene citizen assemblies. These are randomly selected, demographically representative groups of residents who deliberate over weeks or months, hear from experts across the spectrum, and develop recommendations for the legislature. Ireland has used citizen assemblies to break gridlock on issues from abortion to same-sex marriage to climate change, with assembly recommendations winning broad public support in subsequent referenda. France convened 150 randomly selected residents to develop climate proposals more ambitious than politicians had offered. We will establish a Maryland Citizen Assembly Commission to convene such bodies on major policy questions, ensuring that the wisdom of ordinary Marylanders shapes our state's future.
