The right to vote, better representation and election integrity.
The Dispersion of Power: A Critical Realist Theory of Democracy
Abstract The Dispersion of Power is an urgent call to rethink centuries of conventional wisdom about what democracy is, why it matters, and how to make it better. Drawing from history, social science, psychology, and critical theory, it explains why elections do not and cannot realize the classic ideal of popular rule, and why prevailing strategies of democratic reform often make things worse. Instead, Bagg argues, we should see democracy as a way of protecting public power from capture—an alternative vision that is at once more realistic and more inspiring. Despite their many shortcomings, real-world elections do prevent the most extreme forms of tyranny, and are therefore indispensable. In dealing with the vast inequalities that remain, however, we cannot rely on standard solutions such as electoral reform, direct democracy, deliberation, and participatory governance. Instead, Bagg shows, protecting and enriching democracy requires addressing underlying inequalities of power directly. In part, this entails substantive policies attacking the advantages of wealthy elites. Even more crucially, deepening democracy requires the organization of oppositional, countervailing power among ordinary people. Neither task is easy, but historical precedents exist in both cases—and if democracy is to survive contemporary crises, leaders and citizens alike must find ways to revive and reinvent these essential democratic practices for the twenty-first century.
Permissioned Data Shapes: Polls - Nick's Blog
A poll is a space, a ballot is an address, and read_self is the ballot screen: voters cast and change their own votes while no voter's client can read anyone else's.
The Median Voter Theorem is a Clarity Trap
What the Democratic party needs - what it demands - is bold, persistent experimentation
How Media – Namely News, Ads and Social Posts – Can Shape an Election
How Media – Namely News, Ads and Social Posts – Can Shape an Election
Proportional Representation Would Fix That
We can change the structure of elections in America to make them more free, more democratic, and more fair to every voter.
Is it time to think beyond Ranked Choice Voting?
We love being able to show our preferences. We want to vote our conscience. But is RCV really the best option?
Cambridge Analytica and the end of elections
The latest Cambridge Analytica leaks show just how compromised voting - one of the pillars of democracy - has become.
Wisconsin town revolts against a Trump-backed data center project
At least four local data center-related ballot measures are set to appear on ballots this year, with the first vote coming Tuesday in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
Ballot Measure Hub - Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
In the Ballot Hub, you'll find BISC's expert analysis of ballot measures, landscape trends, attacks and threats, issue research, and more.
This paper claims to provide evidence offline networks matter more than online for voting preferences, but winds up mistaking noise for signal and seems to forget that some folks online are quite influential. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/10/pgaf30…
Physical partisan proximity outweighs online ties in predicting US voting outcomes
academic.oup.comWe will discuss this paper in the civic participation journal club. Cannot wait to read it at lunchtime tomorrow🍎
Brihi Joshi
Reasoning about the "why" behind user behavior can improve LLM personas! ✨🧠📈 📝Excited to share our new work: Improving LLM Personas via Rationalization with Psychological Scaffolds 🔗 arxiv.org/abs/2504.17993 🧵 (1/n)
Leave it to Alito to dissent and argue without evidence that voting by mail promotes voter fraud.
Chris Geidner
BREAKING: States are allowed to count ballots mailed by Election Day but received after Election Day, Supreme Court rules. Barrett has the 5-4 opinion for the court, holding that federal law does NOT preempt the state laws. supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1260_g3cn.p…
