'Civi' Lets You Pay Others to Call Congress Members On Your Behalf
Rahul Kalvapalle — June 28, 2017 — Tech
References: civicactionnetwork.us & vox
A company by the name of Civic Action Network is launching a new service, dubbed Civi, that is designed to make it possible for you to pay somebody else to call your member of Congress on your behalf to bring whatever issue you choose to their attention – think Siri, but designed for civic engagement rather than helping you to figure out the name of a song or find a particular restaurant.
There's no question that persistently calling members of Congress can sometimes be the only way to pressure them to effect change. This is where Civi comes in. The service lets you pay $9.99 to have 13 calls made, or $4.99 to have six calls made.
The fact of the matter is that many people would like to be able to contact their member of Congress to express their opinion about an issue, but most people don't have the time and inclination to actually pick up the phone and make repeated calls. The Civi service now empowers these traditionally passive civilians to have an impact by paying a small amount of money to let someone else act as their civic action liaison.
There's no question that persistently calling members of Congress can sometimes be the only way to pressure them to effect change. This is where Civi comes in. The service lets you pay $9.99 to have 13 calls made, or $4.99 to have six calls made.
The fact of the matter is that many people would like to be able to contact their member of Congress to express their opinion about an issue, but most people don't have the time and inclination to actually pick up the phone and make repeated calls. The Civi service now empowers these traditionally passive civilians to have an impact by paying a small amount of money to let someone else act as their civic action liaison.
Trend Themes
1. Monetized Civic Action - The launch of services like Civi opens up opportunities for creating unique, pay-to-play civic engagement models.
2. Outsourced Civic Advocacy - Civi and similar services create opportunities for individuals and businesses to outsource the task of contacting elected officials and promoting civic engagement.
3. Automated Political Action - The rise of services like Civi foreshadows a future where more and more political actions will be outsourced to automated services.
Industry Implications
1. Social Activism - Services like Civi pose a new model for civic engagement and social activism that can be leveraged by socially responsible organizations and movements.
2. Political Campaigns - Civi and similar services can play a key role in future political campaigns by outsourcing constituent outreach and lobbying efforts.
3. Digital Platforms - The success of Civi highlights opportunities for digital platform providers to develop new tools and services for civic engagement and political advocacy.
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