GOP wants website to put policy in hands of voters

Do you think you would be able to make great public policy decisions—possibly better than those made by past and current government officials? Many people think of politics as something that happens despite their opinion on the matter.

If you could Tweet Congress, would you? What issues would you like the House to focus on during this election year? Would you interact on a website that is read by actual government officials? To encourage this type of community and conversation, the House of Representatives’ Republicans are going to launch a new website on Tuesday, June 1st. The new GOP website, Americaspeakingout.com, will make the Republican 2010 midterm policy agenda accessible to Americans. It will also use different types of social media so that Americans can interact and talk about what policies they think Congress should be working on.

According to CNN.com, “the new GOP website is an official government project, supported by leadership staff and funded with taxpayer dollars.” The website aims to give control to voters, and was a team effort by the GOP and Microsoft. After creating a profile, users will choose their username and accumulate “points” every time they submit an idea or engage in an online debate. This will encourage people to visit the website and get involved in politics. California Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy stated that the feedback leaders get from the site will lead to the development of legislation that Republicans will try to enact this year.

Read the full article here.