The design of a new social media platform -designed for user privacy and portability -that encourages group decisions and the transformation of outcome-based decisions into legislative action or ballot initiatives.
2. Confluence of Events
Society faces unprecedented challenges while
Political landscape is polarized, paralyzed and
corrupted by dark money
Political campaigns generally require a massive
amount of money for media purchases
The potential for democracy is rapidly eroding
Political and legal challenges to voters
Gerrymandering
Citizens United and McCutcheon v. FEC
Growing popularity of Electronic Petitions
To Corporations and to Government
3. Confluence of Events
As more citizens are disenfranchised from the
political process
Popularity of Electronic Petitions
Efficacy is questionable
Narrow success in changing business behavior
Negligible influence in government
More protests in the streets
Deeper divides in America leading to more
paralysis or worse
4. Confluence of Events
We are strategically divided and conquered.
You don’t have to be a democrat to want safe drinking
water for your families and you don’t have to be a
republican to want a growing economy.
There are societal outcomes where we all agree.
Focus on outcomes and build legislative mandates to
promote the results “We the People” want.
Use our societal anger and frustration –across political
ideology.
No labels –we will think freely about the America
we want –and support the outcomes with action.
Together we will shape a strong and just
America.
5. Confluence of Events
Social Network Growth
Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Ello (emerging
platform)
Massive use of social platforms to connect with varied
circles or networks of friends.
Society is increasingly frustrated with existing
platforms
Erosion of user privacy for marketing/advertising and
characterizing people for unknown future use.
6. The civ.works solution
Rapidly create a good social platform designed to
respect user privacy and portability of user-owned
profile and interaction data.
Subscription-based (advertising-free platform)
Privacy protection –shared nothing without consent
Solid, comfortable/known user experience
Cross-platform interaction (write/publish once, post-many)
and notification aggregation
Secondarily -Encourage community dialogue in
outcome-based Legislative action
(Direct/Participatory Democracy: as a natural
evolution of current popular digital petitions).
7. Platform functionality
Open Source Platform (use existing proven software to
rapidly deploy for general use)
Invite only (helps control infrastructure growth and creates
demand)
Low monthly subscription fees (free to academia) that are
offset by volume and quality of user interaction (encourages
the creation and sharing of content and user interactions)
Comfortable social network style posts (stories, status,
photos, articles)
Petitions and Polling
Wiki/LIME –to develop/refine/review legislation
Elements of “Smartocracy” –proxy weighted voting
Crowdfunded and Crowdfunding (non-advertising –
”Consumer Reports” style model.)
8. Open Source Platform
Leverage Drupal, Elgg, Diaspora or
BuddyPress other existing platforms for core
services
Integrate existing modules or stacks to provide
the best, seamless experience
Integrate Participatory Democracy platform
(Democracy OS or Loomio)
Social media platform becomes a “gateway
drug” for civic engagement/participation.
9. Social Media “Gateway” to Civic
Participation
User(s) post article with a strong societal concern
Generates significant cross-partisan support
Test wider group to ensure cross-partisan outcome mandate
Small working group proposes solution
Solution is refined into draft legislation
Issue, Legislative Response are validated via voting
If Mandate –legislation is sent to proper jurisdictional legislative
body for sponsorship consideration or we provide guidance for a
State/Local Ballot Initiative –and help coordinate requirements
(petition/signatures etc).
Submitted for closed (no rider) up/down vote –so legislative body
can account to constituents
Bill is tracked and reported on to all civ.works users
Fosters direct participation in political process –and drives
accountability/transparency in the legislative body
10. Represent.us: Issue-focused
success
Great work
with focus
on “anti-corruption”
–
model for
citizen-led,
non-partisan
“Strengthen
America”
effort
11. Civ.Works User Experience
(UX)
Use social features common to existing platforms to provide greater user confidence.
12. Drive Group Outcome-based
Decisions
Address popular issues where a paralyzed
government has failed:
(Examples)
Anti-corruption legislation
Government transparency and accountability
Money as speech (Overturn Citizens United)?
Voter rights and protection?
Use of common natural resources
14. Legislative Action
When polling and cross-partisan civ.works
support indicates “mandate” –citizens work
together on legislative action.
Use of wiki or LIME to draft legislation via
citizen working committee’s:
15. Citizen Bill Tracking and
Reporting
Examine status of action
Determine which legislators sponsor/co-sponsor
Track legislative vote –which legislators
obstruct Citizen’s mandated bills.
Require closed vote (no riders, straight
up/down vote).
Real time tracking results to community.
16. Legislator Record
Each legislator and/or candidate will have a
social page depicting:
Voting record (votes, sponsorship, co-sponsorship)
Platform/policy
How funded
17. Candidate/Funding Pages
Work closely with Sunlight Foundation and API’s to provide
Elected official records (General, transactional and funding data).
18. civ.works
Proof of concept/Prototype in design now.
Alpha civ.works.works launch in Q1, 2015.