By no means is this a first of its kind experiment. There have been apps and networks which have tried their bit to use technology as a medium to help people play a more active role in lawmaking, though most of them have failed. Brigade is still different, not as a concept, but because it’s powered by a man who has a series of enormously successful start-ups behind him, and thus probably has a higher possibility of success.
So what is it, exactly, Brigade, as they call it? Is it disruptive enough to make the lawmakers get out from behind that cozy facade of democracy and for once get face to face with the problems that the commoners face or the issues they care about? We can’t be sure as of now as participation on the new network is by invitation only, and we haven’t yet been obliged.
[blockquote cite=”Matt Mahan, CEO, Brigade” type=”left”]We want to make our democracy more vibrant, more participative, and more responsive to the needs of the ordinary citizens[/blockquote]
From what we know and understand, Brigade appears to be a beginning in the right direction, though. Brigade plans to bring together a whole bunch of features created with inputs from experts in politics, technology, law and academia. For now, though, it starts off light with basic features and a simple philosophy of bringing together people with similar political leanings.
So how exactly does it work? Well, at the very core of Brigade is its own content team meant to bring to fore issues that matter and ask people their stand on them. It’s represented on the screen as a stack of cards which you can choose from and agree and disagree based on your understanding of the subject or political leanings. You can also poll and express your opinion at length.
For example, for a trending topic “US Military”, you will probably be able to flip through cards with a variety of titles like “Is China a threat” or “Soldiers in Afghanistan”. You may keep flipping through the cards, ignoring titles which you don’t know much about or aren’t interested in, or take a position on titles which you care about. Once you take a position, though, you will see more details, showing the percentage of Brigade users who are with or against you.
As you keep flipping and keep taking a position on different topics, you will have more data to compare you profile with other users. You can then evaluate your political stand with others and get to know people who you are most politically aligned with. A group which shares similar thoughts on certain political issues can then come together to decide on further action.
Still in its beta state, Brigade plans to start its life rather simplistically, adding more features and functionalities with time. These are the things the first tool enables its user to do according to the official Brigade blog:
- Weigh in on important topics, including issues in the news
- Write your own opinions and poll friends
- Find out which friends and neighbors align with you, and on what issues
- Add reasons for why you agree or disagree with opinions
- Share your opinions across other social networks
- Get matched with issue-oriented campaigns based on your interests
- Build your own civic network and express what you believe in
Future releases will add many more features to the product with an ability start groups with like-minded friends and neighbours and take action. Brigade will also have its own tools and analytics to actively monitor a campaign or cause and see its social impact in the real time.
In concept, it’s a great way to bring together people who care about certain political issues, though for its serious tone, the big question is for how long can it keep the people engaged, and in what volumes. Also, not all individuals are comfortable disclosing their political inclinations on public platforms, so that may be another stumbling block to overcome.
Without the requisite interest, volumes or legislators’ attention, Brigade may well end up as another failed attempt to connect people directly to the political system using technology. Or it probably may not. We’ll let you know our definitive opinion once we are given an entry into its currently exclusive environment.
In the meantime, here’s a video of Matt Mahan, CEO of Brigade and former CEO at Causes, a somewhat similar app for Facebook to help you better understand this unique attempt at the long desired marriage marriage of technology and politics.
