The political environment in the US and around the world is in a state of disarray. The governments and agencies that represent the population are generally not well connected to the individuals, and individuals remain uninformed and unengaged in policy-making decisions that affect them.
There are several e-democracy platforms that aim to bridge this gap and improve civic engagement. In this discussion, we will examine some of the most effective e-democracy platforms (“We the People”, Change.org, and more), how citizens get their information (news, media, word-of-mouth), and most importantly, how a dynamic WordPress platform can improve communication between constituents and elected officials. Through leveraging open-source collaboration and real-time data from sources such as GovTrack.us and Sunlight Labs, the creation of a 21st century civic-engagement and education tool is just around the corner.
