Citizens, by Wren McDonald for Policymakr (2019).
Can we reset Democracy?
Policymakr will reset the treatment and perception of politics on the Internet. We want to restore confidence in a model that has been partly broken by the onset of immediate, abundant and unverifiable information.
We will use the tools of 2019 to restore a modern, functional system for planning humankind’s long-term future.
By reconnecting Citizens and Policy Makers, our Democracy—the best system of government known to man—will be consolidated.
A global, independent, online platform for the world's citizens to shape policy by engaging with government institutions
Policymakr's overriding aim is to use technology to restore serenity and a long-term perspective to the political process. Any adult resident of a country in which Policymakr operates may open an account and either propose new Project for interaction or join the work on an existing one.
Fort Sumter Ferry Terminal, Charleston, United States. Photo: Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash.
An online place for fact-based, results-focused work on policy issues
Policymakr will harness the technological progress often considered a cause of the deterioration in political debate, to bring Citizens, Policy Makers and Experts together in a safe, fact-based, and distraction-free work area. In a spirit of consensus, they will work on Projects aimed at bringing robust, long-term solutions to the world's policy issues.
Miami, United States: fans of rapper Logic at a concert. Photo: Nicholas Green on Unsplash.
Non-profit, independent and ad-free
Transparency and the overwhelming importance of public service and of the general interest will be at the core of the Policymakr project. Its governance structure, rules and economic model are designed from the ground up to provide an online area for political debate that citizens can trust.
Bank Station, London. Photo: Jonathan Harrison on Unsplash.
Our philosophy.
Nonprofit
The purpose of Policymakr is to serve the public and the general interest, globally, in the long term. It is not to make money or to enrich its founders.
Ad-free
There will never be a single ad on Policymakr. The site will run paid accounts and will be exclusively funded by donations, and member subscriptions.
Project-focused
The site's primary content will be projects curated by members, with a view to drafting and validating a robust, long-term solution to a policy issue.
Independent
No affiliation with a party, lobby interest, social class, or religion. Membership open to all, regardless of colour, class, creed, gender, or orientation.
Fact-based
Work on projects carried out by members shall not involve an exchange of unsubstantiated opinion, but only mobilization of verifiable facts.
Consensual
All shall show courtesy, approach their work constructively, with an open mind, and with respect for the approaches and proposals of others.
No wall
There will be no news wall of any kind available on Policymakr, and sharing of the content of Policymakr's Projects on social networks will be discouraged.
Conflict-free
We aim to solve problems through amicable, non-partisan study of all relevant facts: partisan political opinions have no place in this process.
How Policymakr will work.
There will be three categories of profiles on Policymakr: Citizens, Policy Makers and Experts, working together on Projects aimed at resolving a policy issue. These are the three essential actors who can usefully work together to find the best solution to a problem, but also one that is politically viable. Read more about how Policymakr will be structured and why it'll be different to anything that exists online now, and have a look at the FAQ.
Citizens
Any adult resident of a country in which Policymakr operates may open an account and propose a new Projector join the work on an existing one. Connecting with Policy Makers and Experts will bring Citizens a sense of renewed purpose, intellectual satisfaction, and civic pride. Bonds underpinning the wider communities to which we belong will be strengthened, reversing the damage done to online politics in recent years.
A child and his mother voting in the French presidential election. Photo by Arnaud Jaegers on Unsplash.
Policy Makers
Policy Makers are those responsible, institutionally, for drafting policy and enacting it into law. Policymakr will give them a trusted vehicle to reconnect with the citizens they represent, and also to seek unbiased expert opinion, free from the pressures of the media and of the Internet.
President Obama talks to astronauts on the International Space Station. Photo: History in HD on Unsplash.
Experts & Institutions
Sound policy and legislation can't be drafted without expert advice. But in recent years the experts—think tanks, academic institutions, and structures representing industry, consumers or other groups—have either felt excluded from this process or, paradoxically, been accused of undue secretive influence. Policymakr will allow them to contribute constructively and transparently, rebuilding much needed trust.
John Kerry addresses the Oxford Union on May 11, 2016. Photo: State Department photo/ Public Domain.
Get in touch
Become a member
Projects we would love to get into.
Regular news.
Between now and the day we launch, we'll be posting three types of content here: editorials, news about our progress, and guest posts. You're welcome to send in a contribution.
Is Policymakr out to replace Facebook?
Policymakr is built on the premise that the reason the Information Age became a challenge for representative democracy was circumstantial, not inevitable. The decentralized, deregulated state of the Internet left the field open to entrepreneurs who were quick to harness it to set up platforms that shared one thing in common: there were for-profit—which Policymakr is not. Thus Facebook is clearly at the heart of this problem. Yet it is aware of that and has stated it will be engaging with potential partners during 2019 to exchange on the subject. We intend to play a full part of that debate.
Timeline to launch.
Here's what's next on our way to launch. We hope to start in at least one country by the end of 2019, at which point we'll no longer be in beta. These dates are necessarily indicative. We'll be updating this timeline for you along the way.
Website goes live
Policymakr goes out of maintenance mode and enters beta mode. Inaugural editorial article published.
Community ideas lab launched
Our collaborative tool for sharing ideas and planning the launch goes live.
Kickstarter campaign
To gain traction and raise some funds, we will be launching a Kickstarter campaign.
First project launched
Work will start, experimentally, on a small number of Projects around the end of the first quarter.
Supervisory Board in place
Composition of Policymakr’s Supervisory Board announced.
Policymakr goes live in its first country
This will be the moment when we flip the switch, leave beta and start our existence as a platform.
