What we do now, together.
Originally published by Marci Harris on LinkedIn: What we do now, together.
The conversation that continues after Election Day
This week, many will feel triumphant for hard-won victories, many will feel disappointed and even heartbroken with votes that did not go their desired way. Today (Sunday), we don’t know who will be in which position. But, despite all of the rhetoric, no matter the outcome, I strongly believe that we will endure and emerge stronger and more resilient, together.
Our mission statement as a country
The foundation of POPVOX is not ones and zeros. It is the incredible system of representative government and interlocking checks and balances that assure that leaders are elected by and accountable to citizens; that the military is accountable to civilian leadership; that our rights are inalienable and enduring; and that through a system of representation, we can each individually contribute to the whole.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. — The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
That is the mission statement of this wonderful American experiment (and it darn near chokes me up every time I read it.)
Our mission at POPVOX is to give you tools to play your part in that ongoing quest for a “more perfect Union.”
To connect people and government, empower effective participation, and create a transparent record that influences policy-making and fosters accountable, responsive governing. — POPVOX mission statement
What we do now
Our duties and privileges as citizens and community members do not stop on Election Day. Our leaders are responsible and accountable to their constituents regardless of party affiliation or whether we voted for or against the ones who will take the oath of office.
How do we actually contribute to the direction of the country outside of the election cycle? It can sound so big, yet the answer is so simple:
Pay. Attention.
Our most powerful tool, beyond the vote, is information. And yes, it’s getting harder to use that tool. Information overload means that almost nothing is hidden; yet it is more difficult than ever to cut through the noise and understand what is actually going on.
It’s no secret that many of our information providers have financial incentives to publish what makes us click or keep watching: to outrage or excite us, to make us angry or scared, to pit one side against the other. It’s one thing if the subject is celebrity gossip, but in our public lives, this can lead to genuine fear and anxiety about the things that are most important.
The overload crescendoed this election year, as horserace coverage met campaign micro targeting — triggering emotion and outrage almost everywhere we looked. The combination has left us all frayed, stressed, and ready to tune out. But don’t. Your attention, your participation, your understanding of what is really going on is more important now than ever.
Together.
No matter who is elected president, he or she will have to work with Congress in a bipartisan way to get anything done. No one side is going to get everything it wants in the next four years. It is numerically impossible. There will be deals and compromises.
In the old days, elected officials treated citizens like the Thanksgiving kiddie table in the kitchen — the important conversations took place in the dining room, out of earshot. Thanks to the Internet, we are all in the same room now.
At first, that stopped conversation altogether, compromise virtually ended. Some say this is [when] American Politics Went Insane. But, in the past two years, things started moving again, just without a lot of public discussion or media coverage. To stay with the Thanksgiving analogy, it’s like the adults started using hand gestures and facial expressions amongst themselves, while having a very different conversation out loud with the children.
I believe that we can grow out of this phase into a time in which hard policy discussions are held in the open, with a public that can handle nuance, accept tradeoffs, and work together towards the original mission: justice, domestic tranquility, the common defense, general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and those who come after.
Technology presents the opportunity to participate, to pay attention, to listen and to share our voices in ways unimagined at our founding. We can now be part of the conversation. Our team at POPVOX is working everyday on tools to make that a reality. We hope you will join us for the ongoing civic engagement that follows whatever happens this Election Day.
How POPVOX helps you pay attention and share your voice:
Share your input with lawmakers on all pending bills: choose to support or oppose, see what others are saying, write a personal message, which POPVOX delivers. Check it out.
Subscribe to weekly emails to get details on what’s ahead in Congress (Monday) and a wrap-up of the week (Friday).
Coming in 2017: POPVOX/States to help you stay connected with lawmakers at the state level. Sign up to be notified when your state goes online.
POPVOX is a neutral, nonpartisan platform for civic engagement and legislative information.