Doctors of Democracy - Demognostics

Americans have less and less faith in our democratic institutions. There is a pervasive feeling that something is wrong: our system is failing to serve the people.

This dissatisfaction is rarely harnessed and channeled into positive action. Instead, social media, politicians, and other political actors capitalize for partisan advantage, play the blame game, or promote miracle cures that fail to deliver. Meaningful change remains elusive, frustration festers, isolation and polarization grow, and trust in institutions erodes.

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Demognostics Changes the Game

An early mockup of Dr. Dahl.

Amid growing polarization and declining trust in institutions, we need more than easy anger and outrage. We need to channel Americans' discontented energy into critical thinking, understanding, connectedness, and action.

Demognostics, DODO's flagship product, is an interactive, visually engaging web app for citizens, reformers, and students alike to move beyond inactive disgruntlement to self-reflection, ideas, and action to make their democracy better. Currently in the concept phase, Demognostics is centered around Dr. Dahl, our very much extant dodo mascot, and draws on our team's.

Two Modes of Engagement

Demognostics will engage two demographics that are central to the future health of our democracy: young people currently in education and concerned citizens as they make their first foray into active citizenry.

Demognostics has two distinct modes of engagement:

Diagnostic, symptom centered, "matchmaker" mode that begins with the expression of frustrations and complaints, involves self-reflection, and ends with a treatment plan and referrals to civic engagement groups.
A "design-your-own democracy" mode, that begins with the values most important to the user and results in an institutional framework for the democracy that best reflects them.

An early mockup of Dr. Dahl reveling in being helpful.

Matchmaker Mode

In matchmaker mode, Dr. Dahl, backed by comprehensive databases of academic findings and DODO's democracy algorithm, converts users' outrage into a plan for action using a four-step diagnostic approach.

Reflect on values to build self-awareness.

2. Identify “symptoms” that negatively affect democracy.

3. Diagnose underlying “ailments” responsible for those symptoms

4. Prescribe evidence-based action that facilitate a lasting recovery

It's like a dating app connecting citizens to democratic resources! But better.

Unlike a dating app, users in matchmaker mode are transformed for the better through self-reflection and learning. As a spur to active citizenship, users are matched with the most compatible (civic engagement) partners — organizations that they were unlikely to have even considered partnering with before consulting Dr. Dahl.

Users begin by reflecting on their values and identifying different “symptoms” that worry or anger them about U.S. democracy (e.g. “too much money in politics” or “not enough people voting”).

In the example to the left, the user expresses frustration with what they see as politicians listening only to monied interests. Dr. Dahl engages in a back and forth, encouraging the user to reflect, all the while working to uncover the essence of what angers the user about politicians and money.

In the example to the right, Dr Dahl directs the conversation somewhere more positive: to what a healthy democracy looks like and uses the users' answers to clarify key points and encourage reflection.

Using a custom-trained chatbot, Demognostics facilitates a free-flowing iterative conversation between Dr. Dahl, our friendly democracy expert, and users about what they value and what is wrong in democracy as they see — and express — it.

Based on the conversation and our democracy algorithm, Dr. Dahl works with users to generate a democracy diagnosis and a treatment plan for democratic improvement.

This treatment plan:

Affirms the agency of the user.
Includes a prescription of potential remedies (collective actions and institutional reforms) that address the root causes underlying the democracy diagnosis.
Fully explains the “side effects” and limits of the remedies.
Identifies small behavioral changes that complement the prescription.
Connects users to relevant resources and organizations in the civic and democracy reform spaces.

Potential Impact

Users develop a more nuanced view of their democracy and become ambassadors for lowering the temperature in this environment of know-it-all outragism.
- Frustrations connects to institutional root causes.
- Multiple reform pathways with honest assessments offered.
- Teaches that complex problems rarely have simple solutions.
Concerned citizens engaging in matchmaker mode are better able to articulate their concerns and be connected directly to relevant resources and organizations that can help address their underlying critiques.
Educators developing curriculum for mandatory civics education modules have access to a powerful tool to engage the most cynical of their students.
Users are reminded of their own agency and empowered to action.
Reform groups and resource providers notice an uptick of referrals of like-minded and well-informed potential volunteers and supporters.

Design-your-own Democracy Mode

In the design-your-own democracy mode, users do just that! Design-you-own democracy empowers users to see themselves as "institutional engineers" who can shape their own government.

Engaging via a combination of our democratic values quiz and personal narrative, users work with Dr. Dahl to identify and rank core democratic values (like majority rule, minority protections, representation of diverse groups, etc.) until they have their own personal set of values.

Using our democracy algorithm, Dr. Dahl poses a series of questions to leads the user through the design of an institutional system that reflects those values, describing trade-offs, outlining use cases from around the world, and seeking user input to make key choices, until a system is complete

For users who prefer to skip this step-by-step review, there is a "design it for me" feature, which will design three democratic systems that best match the users' democracy values quiz.

In the example to the right, a user is deciding how to best achieve one of their top values, political equality. Based on the best social science evidence available, Dr. Dahl suggests structures (in this case, compulsory voting) that achieve various aspects of political equality. Dr. Dahl provides:

Extensive definitions.
Theory and empirical evidence on the advantages, disadvantages, and trade-offs of the structure
Use cases from around the world (and history).

In the end it is up for the user to decide: Do they want to adopt compulsory voting in their democracy?

Potential Impact

Users develop a deep understanding of and respect for democracy, institutions, and the trade-offs and compromise necessary in any governing endeavor.
- Users empowered to articulate their democratic priorities.
- How values translate into institutional design revealed.
- Real-world applications and consequences demonstrated.
Spark a life-long passion for democracy and the wonders of institutional engineering among engaged users who feel empowered to effect change for good.
Educators incorporate this powerful tool into their curriculum to extend and engage interested students.
Reform groups and resource providers notice an uptick of referrals of like-minded and well-informed potential volunteers and supporters.