Policymaking Simulations: Get Informed & Share Your Views with Congress
Policymaking simulations are an online interactive tool putting citizens in their elected officials’ shoes. Users are taken through the process of deciding policy. Get briefed, hear pro and con arguments, and make your recommendations that you can choose to send to your Members of Congress.
Voice of the People works with the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation to develop policymaking simulations on a wide range of issues facing Congress. VOP uses the simulations to survey large representative samples in states and congressional districts, but anyone can go through a simulation to get informed and make their voice heard. A simulation takes just 10 to 20 minutes. Go ahead and do it!
Creating Citizen Cabinets
VOP is working to create what are called "Citizen Cabinets" — nationally and in congressional districts and states — that will:
1. Give the public a more effective voice in government decision-making, and
2. Enable Members of Congress to take into account the views of their constituents as a whole before casting legislative votes.
Citizen Cabinets are large panels of citizens who go through interactive policymaking simulations that put citizens in the shoes of policymakers. All residents of a district/state are invited to join the Citizen Cabinet. Recommendations made by Citizen Cabinet members are aggregated and scientifically weighted to mirror the makeup of the congressional district/state. Results are conveyed to Members of Congress, and made public.
What The People Say
Voice of the People works to identify the public’s views on public policy by surveying large representative samples of Americans — nationally and in states and congressional districts. While Congress is often too polarized to solve many of our nation’s pressing issues, VOP has found a remarkable degree of consensus among the American people on a wide range of policy matters.
VOP uses online interactive policymaking simulations that are more informative than traditional polls. The findings provide policymakers a deeper understanding of the views and values of their constituents as a whole, than what they now receive by listening only to those who write or call their offices.