The Occupy Movement relies heavily on the use of social media as an organizing method to coordinate protest activities and connect individuals. Protestors have create Facebook sites such as Occupy Together to coordinate mass protests. Occupiers utilize Twitter to keep the public updated with constant tweets of activities at both protests and General Assembly meetings. YouTube uploads of police brutality incite public uproar which furthers builds the movement, while more individuals participate in General Assembly meetings and decision making processes within t
ConsiderIt is an internet-based platform that stems from the basis of personal deliberation into a form of public deliberation. It allows users to examine trade-offs and the vantage points of other users on proposed actions such as ballot measures, by forming deliberation around a list of pro and cons authored, adopted, and shared by various people using the platform. The design process began with the goal of supporting a voters guide written by community members in the 2010 U.S. election.
VoterMedia is an incentive structure for encouraging public interest media to develop, to flourish and to cover issues that matter to a voter community. A typical first-step implementation is a blog competition in a small democracy such as a student union or a municipality. Voters allocate a limited budget of community funds among various competing blogs. This can be seen as a variant of Participatory Budgeting.
“Choosing Healthplans All Together” (CHAT) is a small group simulation exercise designed to give the public a voice in setting health or health care spending priorities. It has been used for research, policy and teaching purposes. The exercise can be tailored and adapted to the needs of the populations/communities. Departments of Insurance in various states in the U.S. have used CHAT to determine public opinion about what should be included in basic health insurance packages for the uninsured. Some U.S.
The participants in 21st Century Town Meetings are usually ordinary citizens who have no particular expertise in the topic under discussions. They are not stakeholders or professional lobbyists.
