Deliberative assembly

A deliberative assembly is a meeting of members who use parliamentary procedure.

In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the British Parliament as a "deliberative assembly", and the expression became the basic term for a body of persons meeting to discuss and determine common action. Merriam-Webster's definition excludes legislatures.

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

*Except in some cases, where in the event of a tie there is a casting vote.

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised identifies several types of deliberative assemblies.

A large 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, or meetings to form a new society.

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.

A convention, which is a meeting of delegates who represent constituent units of a population. Conventions are not permanently established bodies, and delegates are normally elected for only one term. A convention may be held by an organized society, where each local assembly is represented by a delegate.