How can wikis (the concept more than the technology) help make politics more participatory?
Ideas for using wikis politically[]
- Wikis as campaign tools
- Wikis could be used to let potential voters express themselves to a particular campaign.
- Example: Pete Ashdown (wiki)
- Example: Kevin Zeese (wiki)
- Wikis could be used to let potential voters communicate between themselves regardless of campaign
- Speculative Example: A wiki for voters in Massachusetts to share information about the upcoming election for Governor
- Wikis could be used by advocacy groups to share information that supports their position relating to all candidates in an area, or country, or the world.
- Speculative Example: A wiki for the NRA, with news about candidates they (and their members) are interested in positively or negatively
- Wikis as administration tools
- Wikis could be used by an elected administration to continue to solicit opinions and information from their constituents, instead of having to rely on political advisors for everything. An easy way to keep people in the loop without intruding on their time.
- The number one thing that I love about an administration that would include a wiki-style concept is that it really heads off the whole idea of disenfranchisement, which is one of the most overused words in the world nowadays. But it's true that if your horse doesn't win in an election nowadays, it really does feel like you've been locked out from your government until the next election. But if an administration welcomed all opinions like this, then even if your favorite candidate loses your voice is still heard.
- Wikis for political discussion
- Because keeping people involved in higher-level political discussion is important too, and the previous headings are fairly low-level
- Wikis can be used to discuss single large-scale issues. Distinguished from an advocacy wiki by including all sides of discussion on an issue.
- Speculative Example: A wiki to discuss taxes in the US, including lots of comparison charts, editorials on various sides, etc.
- Wikis can be used to collect, organize, and disseminate the large quantities of information that governments produce.
- Congresspedia is the key example of this.
- Wikis for other politically-related uses
- Wikis can be used to roleplay governments. There are e-mail games like this out there (links?). Wikis might be an even better tool. In fact, as I write this, I am sure someone has already done this and I just haven't found it yet.