PeopleCount

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PeopleCount is creating a web-based communication system to make Democracy work. It's first target is US national politics (congress). (After that, state and local governments, international politics, and other nations.)

Oct 2020: PeopleCount is NOT yet available. There is a blog, and a shallow, old website, even a 2-minute video, but the actual system is under (slow) development. There is no team or support, currently. Just one old software engineer with a day job.

See also the entry on Participedia.net.

Theory: Accountability is required for democracy to reliably work, yet there's almost none.

Few people have

  • a correct, much less rigorous, definition of accountability
  • Lack of accountability causes most of democracy's problems
  • Very little (often zero) accountability occurs during elections
  • The media (newpapers) provide little or no accountability

Thus accountability is missing and people don't realize it's missing, so fixing this isn't on anyone's agenda. Even more, cultural myths arise hiding this, such as "the media provides accountability." (It also provides very little.)

Finally, a rigorous functional definition shows that an internet-based communication system could restore political accountability, rejuvenating democracy and empowering citizens to govern themselves effectively.

What accountability is: A relationship, like between a worker and manager, or a student and teacher.

Democracy works a bit when politicians assume this is the relationship. Since this relationship doesn't actually exist, democracies don't work reliably. They easily could.

In addition, we have lots of methods of communication, mostly one-or-a-few to/from one-or-a-few, and one-or-a-few to many. But for democracy to work, we need efficient, many-to-many and one-or-a-few to/from many communication. This is what PeopleCount's design will deliver.

For more, see this article. Mainly, see the blog. Plus, please add your email to the mailing list.