PeopleCount probably won’t ever launch without backing. My current cold-letter to potential funders is below. You’re welcome to forward it to anyone who’d like to help fix American democracy.
Why isn’t America Democratic?
The 2014 Princeton report confirmed what many believed- America is not a functional democracy. Laws Congress passes are not what most voters want.
What’s not commonly known is why this is so, or how it can be fixed.
The cause
Why? Because politicians aren’t accountable to citizens. It turns out that all of the big problems we have with our political system are actually secondary effects of lack of accountability. Congressional gridlock, divisiveness, corruption, voter apathy and ignorance, and even gerrymandering are symptoms of the lack of accountability. Even the importance of money in elections is a symptom.
Few Americans can even define accountability. Even our literature gives it a watered-down definition compared with accountability in business or education.
Most think it happens in elections or the media has a role. Elections are a very small part of accountability. The media appears to add a little accountability only because there’s none built into the system.
How we could Fix America’s Democracy
This could all be fixed, by
- Defining accountability
- Creating a non-partisan system to deliver it
- Designing it to be rewarding to citizens
- Designing it to be rewarding to politicians
- Designing it to be self-sustaining
- Designing great adoption plans, growth plans, and marketing plans
- Obtaining funding and creating a team
- Building the system (half of the first version is built)
- Designing the first content
All of these have been done except #7 and half of #8.
Initial feedback has been positive, but isn’t rigorous enough for for-profit investors.
- Users have said they’ll use it
- Customers have said they’ll pay for it and market it
- Groups have said they’ll send their members
It’s just a bit too much for one geeky inventor to do by his lonesome, while supporting a family.
What’s needed?
I’m looking for funding. Leadership would be welcome as well.
Would you like to add to your resume that you transformed America into a democracy? Or do you know someone who’d like to help?
Note your participation requires you to keep it non-partisan. Making it partisan will lead to more politics-as-usual and continue to prevent democracy.
As a bonus, you get to work with me, and I’m not nearly as arrogant and outlandish as I sound!
Best wishes,
-Rand Strauss
650-861-1537
Mountain View, Ca