INTRODUCING

CIV.WORKS

The Social Civic Engagement Platform

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

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

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.

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.

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).

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.)

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.

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

Represent.us: Issue-focused

success

Great work

with focus

on “anti-

corruption” –

model for

citizen-led,

non-partisan

“Strengthen

America”

effort

Civ.Works User Experience

(UX) Use social features common to existing platforms to provide greater user confidence.

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

Integrate Decision Platform into

stackLoomio or LiquidFeedback or Democracy OS

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:

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.

Legislator Record

Each legislator and/or candidate will have a

social page depicting:

Voting record (votes, sponsorship, co-

sponsorship)

Platform/policy

How funded

Candidate/Funding Pages

Work closely with Sunlight Foundation and API’s to provide

Elected official records (General, transactional and funding data).

civ.works

Proof of concept/Prototype in design now.

Alpha civ.works.works launch in Q1, 2015.