While town hall meetings offer an example of participatory democracy at its finest, the reality is that many people remain disengaged from the process and do not attend the meetings. MindMixer is working to combat the low rate of involvement among citizens and is seeking to re-engage members of communities. According to The Atlantic Cities, “MindMixer works as a virtual town hall, giving citizens a forum to launch ideas that others can comment on and vote up.” The benefit of the online town hall service stems from its generation of new and innovative initiatives: it equips civic leaders with better ideas and gets ideas from local citizens heard.
Part of what makes MindMixer so appealing is what The Atlantic Cities describes as its game-like quality. The platform is presented in such a way where participants can earn points and win prizes. Plus, there are a variety of ways to play, depending on how the city sets up the site. Some communities might accept open submissions while others might propose a challenge or important issue that needs to be addressed. In both scenarios, points are earned for ideas submitted, feedback provided, and good ideas supported. High scoring ideas are then put to a vote and move on to real deliberation and implementation.
With a goal of reaching a broader audience and creating more effective community participation, MindMixer is good for both citizens and leaders. Learn more about what it is, how it works, and why you should choose it.