Political Apptivism

  

The Digital Economy bill has been making the headlines in technology circles, but it's also stirred a slumbering giant. A number of web-apps have come to the fore that try to raise awareness and educate the user.

Not sure who to vote for? Why not Vote for policies to see which political party most suits your views.

The DE bill lumbered it's way through parliament, unstoppable by public pressure. In an expression of frustration, Debillitated displays information about the campaign and the MP's involved (or not involved as it turned out). WhatDEBill captures the mood of Twitter users in the aftermath.

Besides blowing off steam, some apps let you see the data from a local perspective. Now it's personal. They work for you reveals who is responsible for your area and how they can be contacted whereas VoterPower highlights how necessary electoral reform is by visualising how powerful your vote is.

The political parties talk a lot of bluster, but MyGayVote shows the facts in a way that cannot be argued.

Are there any apps that attempt to raise awareness of issues in specific marginal electorates? In this election they will be crucial (and let's not forget the Lord Ashcroft marginal electorate funding controversy). If it was possible to inform people in a marginal electorate very specifically via Twitter/FB/whatever about certain issues that affected them, perhaps the outcome could be affected one way or another?

Apps built from real data help to raise awareness. Of course, awareness alone doesn't change things, but it does get the ball rolling. Amplifying the electorate's feedback is key: general elections are like stock markets; they work on confidence. Politicians support what they think will get them elected.

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