Summary of PeopleCount
What is PeopleCount
A "marketplace-like site" where voters find politicians and hold them accountable.
Like a marketplace, it will be a site where a voter can communicate efficiently
will all of their elected officials and challengers, saving politicians from
needing to find voters. It is equipped with communication mechanisms that scale
well, so all voters in a district or state can form a coherent voice to be heard
by all voters and by politicians.
It disrupts expensive non-accountable campaigning.
It will involve voters in politics,
reach more voters, and allow much richer messages from politicians.
PeopleCount is a Benefit Corporation.'
It's purpose is to benefit society while not being strictly non-profit.
Revenue will be used to pay reasonable costs and salaries and expand into more levels of government.
The exit strategy is to become a non-profit.
It aims to be non-partisan, unbiased, and purpose-driven to serve all people.
Problems in Politics (really: symptoms)
- Corruption: Money has power in elections and in legislation
- Parties have power - they often divide, name-call, posture, and lie
- Unrepresentative: politicians represent the 2-parties, though 40% of voters are unaffiliated
- Congress is gridlocked and corrupt - over 50% retire to lobby or serve on boards of companies they regulated
- Members of Congress spend 2-4 hours daily fundraising
- There is no democracy- there's no correlation between what people want and what legislation passes
- There is gerrymandering, other disenfranchisement, a poor voting method. Voters are not served
Upshot
- Politics evolved to be the arena in which the 2 parties fight for power
- Congress works poorly and problems arise faster than it can function
- Voters are mad, sad, and frustrated leading to apathy and sbeing usceptible to propaganda/gaslighting
- Myths about politics prevail- blame, "We need to fight harder", the future of politics seems hopeless
Root Problem
- Democray only works reliably when politicians are
fully accountability to voters (not to parties or donors)
- America's founders assumed there would be no parties and no free corporations
- They assumed elections create accountability (they create almost none)
- Representatives and challengers have almost zero accountability to voters
- Corruption, gridlock, apathy and ignorance are all symptoms of lack of accountability
The Solution
- Make the winning formula in politics be: Accountability to Voters
- Voters vote on issues, see results, expect action, and demand reports on specific issues
- Politicians report- written and video
- Voters grade reports and see cumulative results
- The first version will focus on Congress and the presidency
Why national?
- Huge/visible/dire problems
- Candidates have more money and more corruption
- Functions of the site are the same whether a big or small market
- We can leverage the many large organizations promoting national issues
- Rand knows national politics better and wants it for that
- More voters seem more energized about national issues
- We can still focus on a few districts at the beginning to ensure higher adoption
Challenges
- Americans don't even know what accountability is,
so don't realize the extent to which it's missing,
nor that it's possible to create it.
- Americans have bought into party rhetoric that they must fight
- American think to reduce money's power we should reduce the supply -
like drugs, that doesn't work.
- Americans are resigned to a poorly working political system
- Most Americans think politics can't be fixed, except by huge wins in elections
These are all opportunities for breakthroughs!
Features for voters
- Vote on issues
- See results
- Demand reports on an issue
- Be notified of reports
- Can grade reports
- Can see report grades
Features for politicans
- Report to voters on specific issues about progress, plans, advice
- Reach voters at low cost
(1 year of verified (by grade) communication is the price of 1 postcard)
- Can also reach pre-voters for free
- Get breakdown of results by age, sex, party affiliation
Benefits to Voters
- Express your political views in a way that makes a difference
- Focus on the issue(s) you care about
- See what others want on issues, form expectations
- Have a year-round political responsibility
- Free politicians from following extremist party positions
- Free politicians from having positions at all
-- allow them just to serve America & voters
- End corruption: Free politicians from conflicts of interests with the wealthy
- End corruption: Free members of Congress from fundraising while in office
Benefits to Politicians
Challengers
- Get to promise to be the first accountable Rep/Senator, even after elections
- Get to notify people who care
- Get to criticize incumbent for no action on important issues voters favor
- Get to criticize incumbent for bowing to party
- Get to call out incumbent for any dishonesty
All Candidates
- Reach all voters at very low cost
- Reach voters with richer messaging
- Reach voters on issues they're interested in
- Reach voters on their schedule
- Reaching them is verified
For the winner/incumbent
- Maintain relationship with voters while in office
- Get to serve all voters
- Get to easily, effectively tell voters of wins, accomplishments, excuses
- Get to advise voters who care about an issue
Sales/Revenue Model
- Rep candidates pay $.10 per voter per month with a cap for Reps of $5k/month
- Senators pay the same for 1 rep states, or less than a multiple.
- Presidential candidates cap out at $1m/mo
- Minimum of $1k/mo for reps, more for large-state sen seats, $50k for pres candidates
- After minimum, another cap: 1/4 of funds raised
Note: All figures are just plans, at this point.
Pre-launch fundraising
- Ask for donations from voters.
Donations become credit in their accounts that they can donate
to pay politicians' PeopleCount bills.
- With some success, we can attract donations from wealthier people
who want a more democratic country.
- Investment probably wouldn't happen till it becomes popular.
It's best if we can avoid partners who are seeking profit.
How PeopleCount grows
- Candidates will recommend voters say what they want by voting on issues on PeopleCount
- Candidates will recommend voters hold them accountable on PeopleCount
- Political issue organizations will send members to vote up their issues on PeopleCount
- These orgs might even advertise for others to join them
- Social media campaigns about doing the impossible- transforming politics
- Press, especially as incumbents pass legislation on very popular issues on which they're being criticized
More
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Rand Strauss, Rand@PeopleCount.org
Copyright 2023, Randy Strauss, All Rights Reserved.