• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy

Democracy Chronicles

Minguo: a Unique Online Democracy Experiment

by augustin - September 9, 2012

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin
Image credit: Patos do Jardim do Cerco by Francis Coantunes for Minguo
Image credit: Patos do Jardim do Cerco by Francis Coantunes for Minguo

There is a small web site in a remote corner of the internet which may one day revolutionize the way the society thinks about politics, policy, elections and democracy. Ask any American about the state of politics in our country today, and you are likely to get an exasperated look about how negative political discourse has become. Yet, that little web site is offering a solution in the form of an online democracy experiment in order to promote a more positive and constructive political discourse as well as better election methods. Let’s see what it has to offer…

2012 presidential election USA, minguo.info emocracy ballot
2012 presidential election USA, emocracy ballot

Minguo.info/USA is offering solutions for the progressive citizen. Not only it is promoting better election methods which would allow better, more honest candidates to be elected at every levels, it is also offering the tools for users to create their own polls using a variety of alternative voting systems. Those polls can be used to discuss policies as well as candidates.

What very few people realise is how much negative influence the current electoral system has on politics and the society in general. If we wish to sanitize the political discourse and improve our democracy, the first step should be to promote and implement a better voting system.

The current election method, known as Plurality voting, is the root of many of our current political problems. Trying to solve an aspect of one hot button problem or another without touching the electoral system would be akin to trying to remedy the symptoms of a disease without curing its root cause. It is very important to note that the regular polling methods have a very strong tendency to divide the public into two opposing camps and to promote the use of negative campaigning.

Fortunately, alternative election methods exist. They are the cure to one of our society’s most deeply rooted malady. Over at minguo.info, not only you can create your own polls, about any election or on any topic, but you can also chose the voting method to use in your poll.

Minguo.info is a non-profit, advertising free, community project which has several, complementary aims.

First and foremost, it aims to educate the public about better election methods. It promotes such better methods like Approval Voting, Emocracy Voting and Score Voting. Plurality voting is also implemented in the web site, certainly not because it’s a good election method, but in order to offer the users the chance to compare our current, broken system with better alternatives (follow these last two links, cast your own ballots and appreciate the difference!). Minguo.info also wants to educate against the use of voting machines in official elections. Ideally, there should be a verifiable paper trail in every election.

Secondly, Minguo.info is a community web site which provides a safe space where constructive political dialogue can take place. Every one, regardless of political affiliation, is welcome to register for free. Members can use the site’s advanced polling features to create polls about any policy area of interest to them. The polling methods like Approval or Score voting allow for consensual opinions to emerge, furthering the goals to create a less acerbic, more positive atmosphere in the political debate that accompany each poll. Members all have their own blog which they can use to promote their own favourite policies.

The community, consensual nature of the web site is exemplified by what we call the “Community Manifesto“. This manifesto is an emerging document, collaboratively and consensually written by all the members. Its content will change and evolve with time, as members contribute to it. It is based on the results of the community polls created by the members. Each topic in the manifesto describes a policy position based on the results of one or more polls.

All of this allows us to make a difference between a political debate and a debate on policy. Politics tends to divide people, especially given the poor election method used in official elections. However, the advanced polling tools used at minguo.info allows for a more peaceful debate on policies to take place, especially since more nuanced positions have the room to flourish and get the approval of a large majority of the members.

The site is divided into different ‘realms’, one of which represents the USA. While politics is often country-specific, many issues affect us all, wherever we live in the world. Thus, every English speaking individuals (whether from the UK, from Canada or from anywhere else) are welcome to join in an participate in the USA realm at minguo.info. Besides for the USA, dedicated realms have also been set up for France and Taiwan. Should there be enough interest from members coming from any other specific country, we can set up another realm within minguo specially dedicated to the politics and policies of that country.

Thus, minguo.info is an experiment in internet democracy via constructive policy discussion. It is fairly unique on the web. When the community reaches a critical mass, it will be empowered to use its collaboratively drafted policy document (the Community Manifesto) to reach out to the public, educate it and positively influence public discourse, policy decisions, the democratic process and, hopefully, the outcome of elections.

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: Election Methods, France, Internet and Democracy, Polling, Taiwan, Voting Technology

About augustin

augustin is an author and the founder of an innovative and collaborative election methods based website Minguo. He writes for Democracy Chronicles from Taiwan.

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home | DC AUTHORS | Minguo: a Unique Online Democracy Experiment

Primary Sidebar

Advertise button

PODCAST: Baby Boomers And American Gerontocracy

By Jenna Spinelle May 23, 2022

Older and younger voters are increasingly at odds: Republicans as a whole skew gray-haired, and within the Democratis, the left-leaning youth vote.

A Dangerous Reprise Of American Exceptionalism In Ukraine

By Jamie Lampidis May 15, 2022

The stakes are too high to cave into Putin’s phantasmatic imperial play, and too high to believe that this war can be won by arming Ukrainians.

democracy chronicles newsletter

DC AUTHORS

On The Coming End Of Roe v. Wade

By Peter J. Dellolio May 11, 2022

Anyone who says that the evolution of law has nothing to do with politics is either very corrupt or very stupid. Laws evolved through the centuries.

Goodbye Roe v. Wade, Goodbye Rule Of Law

By Andrew Straw May 5, 2022

Congress should impeach judges who act like that because it is not good behavior, and they were asked not to act that way when they were confirmed.

PODCAST: Debating The Future Of Debates

By Jenna Spinelle May 4, 2022

We love a good debate — and have certainly had plenty of them on this show. But how effective are they in today’s media and political landscape?

What “Pro-Palestine” Student Groups Get Wrong

By David Anderson, J.D. May 3, 2022

Back then – as now – this fit into a “colonialist” narrative of European Jews oppressing Arabs – an easy, eye pleasing but intellectually lazy fit.

Examining Government As A “Necessary Evil”

By Gary Berton April 29, 2022

Thomas Paine defines government as separate from society, and indeed if society functioned perfectly there would be no need for government.

Ukrainian And Polish History: Fighting The Empires

By Maxim Sidorenko April 26, 2022

On February 24th, Russia started an unprovoked war against Ukraine. It has become one more attempt of the empire to demolish the Ukrainian state.

PODCAST: What Student Debt Says About Democratic Institutions

By Jenna Spinelle April 26, 2022

In a new book, Josh Mitchell draws alarming parallels to the housing crisis, showing the catastrophic consequences student debt has had on families.

MORE FROM OUR AUTHORS

VISIT OUR POLITICAL ART SECTION:

dc political art

DEMOCRACY CULTURE

Kenyan 'Cartooning For Peace' To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

Kenyan ‘Cartooning For Peace’ To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

May 17, 2022

Cartooning is an art that has been playing a major role in illustrating stories in different ways, from health to politics, and even sports.

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers' Anxiety, Even Online

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers’ Anxiety, Even Online

May 17, 2022

Organizational leader’s tweets can influence employee anxieties and this effect is more prominent since the rise of COVID-19, study.

North Korea Cracks Down On 'Capitalist' Pop Culture

North Korea Cracks Down On ‘Capitalist’ Pop Culture

May 6, 2022

North Korea has increased its campaign against “capitalist” style clothing, others, in broader crackdown on foreign pop culture.

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

May 6, 2022

Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo joined other celebrities making a final push for voters in Brazil to register to vote.

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

April 26, 2022

There are paper cups with eight different kinds of M&M near the entrance to Amalga Distillery in Juneau for a mock ranked choice vote.

MORE CULTURE

VISIT OUR US DEMOCRACY SECTION:

American Democracy