The work of political theorist Bernardo Zacka illuminates the importance of “in-between spaces.” Zacka’s focus is on physical spaces, such as balconies on apartment buildings that overlook the street, and how they can enable what Zacka calls a “reserved sociability” that strengthens pluralism in democratic societies. (12) When the driver of a car s... See more

With technologies that can now facilitate discussion and decision-making among groups both big and small, we must ask if we can build new kinds of intermediating digital spaces, ones that provide perspective, attention, and action on shared rather than personal problems, while at the same time accommodating discussion and deliberation at local as w... See more

Over the last 50 years, people have shifted away from meeting and volunteering regularly in associations and informal gatherings such as support groups and Bible study groups, choosing instead to engage through “checkbook participation,” where we outsource and pay local and national organizations who hire professional staff to do the good works and... See more

But it also seems clear that reinforcing local community structures should not be the only approach. So many towns and neighborhoods in the United States are effectively mini-one-party states. With the demographic sorting that has taken place over the last 40 years, focusing our attention primarily on local politics and participation in local decis... See more

We agree with those who think revitalizing place-based identities and local engagement may help to break down these walls. If we redirect people’s attention back to local politics and working with fellow community members on projects that have a tangible impact, perhaps we can restart a positive feedback loop and regenerate the crosscutting connect... See more

Participants report that talking to the system’s chatbots is “freeing” and rewarding. In one example, a student who interacts with a “teacher” chatbot is asked to share their stories or memories of interacting with teachers. Based on what the student shares, the “teacher” bot might respond, “Sometimes I don’t effectively listen to what my students ... See more

Because each participant can remain anonymous and their input can be separated from their personal identity, they can feel protected. This can make them feel freer to speak, or equally important, not to speak, and simply survey the comments of others as they appear on the collective screen.

Polis ensures that participants focus on the content of comments and the state of the conversation, because there are no direct conversations or interactions with other participants. Discussion on the platform in this sense happens at a distance, like an observer sitting on a park bench or standing on a balcony.

First, identity authentication can ensure that everyone on the platform is a human entitled to join the platform...no bots, and maybe no commercial companies. It used to be that knowing someone’s identity was necessary to ensure that they had rights to participate. But much of the toxicity of current social media interactions is about identities as... See more