In his article on the National Citizens' Technology Forum (NCTF) in this chapter, Cobb notes that the NCTF was essentially a decendant of the "consensus conference," a form of political engagement that originated in Denmark and then traveled elsewhere. Sponsored by the Danish Parliament, the Danish Board of Technology was tasked with involving groups of citizens in making informed policy recommendations related to science and technology: these policy recommendations were and are considered by lawmakers in forming science policy. Cobb and others have noted that the consensus conference and related forms of public engagement have garnered significant academic interest in the United States in recent decades, particularly among those concerned about the lack of public participation in science policy making (Guston 1999; Sclove 2000; Kleinman et al. 2007; Philbrick and Barandiaran 2009; Rowe and Frewer 2009).