Revision: 08 October, 2010 at 19:33 by Wayne
Current Problems
Contents
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This is an early draft of our attempt to capture the problems associated with the current system of communication between citizens and elected officials. Have a look at it and let us know what you think. As we make modifications to it, we’ll come back to you for feedback.
Our political system has reached a point of crisis. The irresistible forces of pervasive communication technology and disgruntled popular actions are meeting the immovable objects that shape partisan and broadcast-based politics. These problems are over-determined and none of them can be solved in isolation.
Citizens
- Have no effective avenues of communication with their elected representatives
- Individuals feel no ownership over the stakes debated in politics
- Much of current political engagement is focused on meaningless acts that propagate:
- feelings of powerlessness in the system
- lack of ownership
- lack of community (or engagement)
- Most citizens are not engaged in the political process and do not educate themselves about political issues
Advocacy and Advocacy Groups
- Encouraged to polarize in order to motivate their base.
- Discouraged from engaging opposed groups.
- Few groups are experienced or accustomed to deliberation
- No political memory – There is no correlation made between promises and follow-through
- Online echo chambers create the conditions for unproductive partisanship
- In online forums, it is difficult to engage experts, promote complete solutions, or reconcile differences
Politics and Politicians
- Usually isolated from the grassroots activity and have little incentive to engage in open dialogue.
- Elected officials focus on political short-term expedience and sound bites rather than long-term and nuanced solutions
- Hidden negotiations (back-room deals) are more effective than open government
- Polling and political partisanship hide the common ground shared by all sides
- Winner-take-all elections fail to represent minority views and degrees of sentiment
- Many of the most important issues need to be followed over a long term, but the media focuses on sudden shocks
- Money talks, rather than expertise, and the voices of all the affected populations are rarely considered
General
- Lack of systemic feedback loops that engage citizens, hold politicians accountable, and build on past successes.
What did we miss?
Let us know below so can modify this and improve it.
