Our Tools

The suite of tools and practices we’ve identified allow us to create more meaningful, powerful interactions. In these deliberative sessions, participating citizens receive non-partisan background materials in advance, ensuring sessions center around informed deliberation. Our post analysis will let you know, in clear language and with stories, not only what constituents are thinking, but why.

Some of our tools were developed especially for citizen deliberations, others are “deliberative” versions of other communication platforms people are already using. All the tools can be customized to meet the constituent engagement goals of your office.

Common ground for action online forums

Common Ground for Action (CGA) is a simple, yet sophisticated, visually-engaging online platform that allows citizens (and Congressional staff) to deliberate about various options on a tough issue together, weigh tradeoffs, and actually see where they have common ground. CGA forums provide both a valuable experience for all participants as well as a wealth of data about not just what constituents support or don’t support, but why. Learn more.

Deliberative online town halls

In these deliberative online town halls, neutral moderators will facilitate deliberation between constituents and their elected officials. We’re working with Google on a custom use of Hangouts and other Google products which are already familiar and intuitive to most constituents.

deliberative social media events

Connecting to Congress works with digital partners like Reddit, Facebook and Instagram to integrate deliberative facilitation and non-partisan information into interactions on the platforms where people are already talking.