When making any decision, it helps to have some underlying criteria. I thought it would be helpful to create and share a list of my own questions for making decisions on City Council. Here are the twenty questions I've come up with so far, in a rough order of priority.
- What’s the “letter of the law” -- the specific legal language in this decision?
- What’s the underlying “spirit of the law” -- the general civic principles in this decision?
- What are the moral and ethical considerations for this decision?
- How does my vote correspond to my overall views of the proper role of government?
- What are the general sentiments of Cedar Falls residents about this decision?
- What are the viewpoints and interests of the various stakeholders?
- Why is this decision needed, and what problem does it seek to solve?
- What facts are available in order to make an informed decision?
- What information gaps exist, which could hinder making an informed decision?
- Do I have enough information to make an informed decision?
- What precedents are set, if the decision passes?
- What is the 'fairness' of this decision for all concerned?
- What similar, recent decisions could help inform my vote?
- What can history (local or otherwise) tell me about this decision and its likely impacts?
- What are the short-term implications of this decision?
- What are the long-term implications of this decision?
- What are some key potential unintended consequences of this decision?
- How consistent is my vote with my voting history and past rationale?
- Can this decision be easily reversed later (i.e. could this decision just be considered an experiment)?
- What are the opportunity costs for this decision (i.e. less funds available for other projects, land not available for other uses, etc.)?
That's just twenty...what other questions should I be asking? Which ones on this list do you think aren't necessary? In some cases, am I asking the wrong questions? Let me know in the comments!