ABSTRACT: Excessive corporate power, dismal voter turnout, apathetic citizens, and widespread distrust in government are symptoms of an American democracy in trouble. We also are witnessing a unique and unprecedented bubbling up of grass roots political actions on the Internet that may bring with it a solution. The first objective of this project is to better understand that phenomenon and to learn how the Internet opened the door to the pent-up desires of legions of informed, educated, and competent citizens to participate in policy-making. Will this phenomenon evolve into the institutional means by which the American people reach consensus on issues and find expression in a representative democracy? Will this phenomenon become an independent force in American politics powerful enough to check over-reaching governments and corporations and restore balance? Is this the solution that has eluded philosophers for centuries because they simply could not have foreseen today's army of educated, informed, and technically savvy citizens and unlimited connectivity via the Internet? The second major objective of this project is to look inside this spontaneous citizen participation process to learn how it can be stimulated to become a full-fledged public interest institution and to develop a set of guidelines for citizen leaders and participants. Hopefully, this will nurture and guide the creation and operation of new Public Interest Nets in the ways of successful predecessors and help restore health to the American political system. To view the complete proposal click here.

Citizen-Initiated Polls. An experiment involving Citizen-Initiated Polls was officially launched on January 24, 2004 as part of a larger on-going study of bottom-up democracy. This experiment explores the potentials of spontaneous public issue-oriented polls prepared and initiated by citizens rather than by organizations, commercial polling companies, and the government. Although the potentials for bottom-up polling are unknown at this point (the reason for the experiment), at least two related possibilities will be explored. To view the complete article click here.

This essay presents some preliminary analysis of a phenomenon that could transform the political process in the United States. That phenomenon is an outburst of online grass roots political action facilitated by Internet activist groups such as Moveon.org. In this phenomenon lies the potential for an emergent participatory democracy until recently thought to be impossible in a large-scale political system. To view the complete article click here.

Poll #1 (use real title) - 10/24/2004

Abstract Research and Development - 00/00/2004

Larry Boyd, Pasadero, Inc., Tempe, AZ, 6/30/2003

William Boyd, U Of A Law School, 9/01/2003