Designing an Online Civic Participation Platform: Socio-Computational Supports for Finding,...

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Attracting new members to online communities and encouraging substantive participation is an open research problem at the intersection of behavioral and social sciences, computer science, and human computer interaction. eGovernment communities, which are intended to promote civic engagement and deliberative discussion, particularly struggle with challenges of motivation and under-contribution since barriers to entry can be significant and the personal benefits and impacts of participation may be non-obvious when compared with the costs in terms of time and effort. This presentation describes projects undertaken as part of the Cornell eRulemaking Initiative (CeRI) to address such issues. In particular, it details development of our civic engagement platform and the socio-computational supports we have designed for intelligently routing work, recommending content during deliberative writing, providing personalized moderation, and facilitating consensus-building and collaboration.

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DESIGNING AN ONLINE CIVIC PARTICIPATION PLATFORM Socio-Computational Supports for Finding, Enlisting, and Motivating Contributors

!Elizabeth!L.!Murnane!elm236@cornell.edu!

Today’s Presentation

•  Introduc:on!

• eGovernment!&!eRulemaking!background!

• Cornell!eBRulemaking!Ini:a:ve,!Regula:onRoom!•  Recruitment!of!(underBrepresented)!stakeholders!•  Facilita:ng!engagement!&!collabora:on!•  Assessing!quality!&!value!of!par:cipa:on!

About Me Research(•  Interests:!User!Modeling;!Recommender!Systems;!Social!Compu:ng!•  Domains:!Mental!&!Physical!Health,!Civic!Innova:on!!

Current(•  PhD!student!B!Cornell!Informa:on!Science!(2011Bpresent)!•  CommiVee:!Profs.!Dan!Cosley!(chair),!Claire!Cardie,!Geri!Gay!!

Background(•  MIT!S.B.!in!Mathema:cs!with!Computer!Science,!2007!•  CoBfounder!of!MIT!CSAIL!startup,!2007B2011!

•  NSF!Graduate!Research!Fellow,!2011!

(

Background • “eBGovernment”,!“Open!Government”!!

• Goals!•  alert!and!engage!ci:zens!•  increase!informa:on!access!•  provide!interac:ve!discussion!spaces!with!lowered!barriers!for!engagement!that!welcome!diverse!opinions!

!

•  In!prac:ce!•  redundant,!irrelevant,!polarized!content!•  policymakers!&!ci:zens!frustrated!

Background • “eBGovernment”,!“Open!Government”!!

• Goals!•  alert!and!engage!ci:zens!•  increase!informa:on!access!•  provide!interac:ve!discussion!spaces!with!lowered!barriers!for!engagement!that!welcome!diverse!opinions!

!

•  In!prac:ce!•  redundant,!irrelevant,!polarized!content!•  policymakers!&!ci:zens!frustrated!

Background • “eBGovernment”,!“Open!Government”!!

• Goals!•  alert!and!engage!ci:zens!•  increase!informa:on!access!•  provide!interac:ve!discussion!spaces!with!lowered!barriers!for!engagement!that!welcome!diverse!opinions!

!

•  In!prac:ce!•  redundant,!irrelevant,!polarized!content!•  policymakers!&!ci:zens!frustrated!

Rulemaking

•  Rulemaking:!process!federal!agencies!use!to!create!regula:ons!(“rules”)!•  Public!no:ce!!!open!comment!period!!!agency!evalua:on!•  2001B2010:!over!38,000!rules!finalized!•  2003B2010:!568!major!rules!with!$100!million!economic!effect!•  Tradi:onally!dominated!by!sophis:cated!and!resourced!en::es!

!•  e5Rulemaking:!the!use!of!digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!technologies!to!support!this!process!•  S:ll!poses!barriers!that!prevent!effec:ve,!broad!engagement!from!ci:zens!

Rulemaking

•  Rulemaking:!process!federal!agencies!use!to!create!regula:ons!(“rules”)!•  Public!no:ce!!!open!comment!period!!!agency!evalua:on!•  2001B2010:!over!38,000!rules!finalized!•  2003B2010:!568!major!rules!with!$100!million!economic!effect!•  Tradi:onally!dominated!by!sophis:cated!and!resourced!en::es!

!•  e5Rulemaking:!the!use!of!digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!technologies!to!support!this!process!•  S:ll!poses!barriers!that!prevent!effec:ve,!broad!engagement!from!ci:zens!

Rulemaking

•  Rulemaking:!process!federal!agencies!use!to!create!regula:ons!(“rules”)!•  Public!no:ce!!!open!comment!period!!!agency!evalua:on!•  2001B2010:!over!38,000!rules!finalized!•  2003B2010:!568!major!rules!with!$100!million!economic!effect!•  Tradi:onally!dominated!by!sophis:cated!and!resourced!en::es!

!•  e5Rulemaking:!the!use!of!digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!technologies!to!support!this!process!•  S:ll!poses!barriers!that!prevent!effec:ve,!broad!engagement!from!ci:zens!

CeRI: Cornell eRulemaking Initiative • Mul:Bdisciplinary!team!

•  Law!school,!Legal!Informa:on!Ins:tute,!Scheinman!Ins:tute!on!Conflict!Resolu:on,!Communica:on,!Informa:on!Science,!Computer!Science!

• Addressing!behavioral!&!technical!challenges!•  Social!+!behavioral!sciences,!NLP,!HCI!

RegulationRoom.org

RegulationRoom.org

Since!2010!launch:!•  5!rulemakings!• DOT,!CFPB!partnerships!

•  Recogni:on!!

Civic Engagement Cycle

2

1 3

•  Collaboration •  Summarization •  Consensus

•  Identify stakeholders •  Target •  Motivate

•  Learn •  Question •  Contribute

Civic Engagement Cycle •  Learn •  Question •  Contribute

2

1 3

•  Collaboration •  Summarization •  Consensus

•  Identify stakeholders •  Target •  Motivate

Civic Engagement Cycle

2

1 3

•  Collaboration •  Summarization •  Consensus

•  Identify stakeholders •  Target •  Motivate

•  Learn •  Question •  Contribute

Civic Engagement Cycle

2

1 3

•  Collaboration •  Summarization •  Consensus

•  Identify stakeholders •  Target •  Motivate

•  Learn •  Question •  Contribute

Participation Patterns

Since 2010: •  40,500 visitors made 60,000 site visits •  1,566 registered users •  5 separate hosted rulemakings •  1,544 individuals participated in various forms •  609 actively engaged in deliberation •  1,537 total comments generated •  80% of participants never took part in a rulemaking

prior

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.   Motivated awareness barrier

2.   Information barrier

3.   Participation literacy barrier

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.   Motivated awareness barrier

2.   Information barrier

3.   Participation literacy barrier

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.   Motivated awareness barrier

2.   Information barrier

3.   Participation literacy barrier

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.   Motivated awareness barrier

2.   Information barrier

3.   Participation literacy barrier

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.   Motivated awareness barrier

2.   Information barrier

3.   Participation literacy barrier

Overcoming the Hurdles Recruitment((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Delibera8ve(

Discussion(Consensus5Building(

Bringing!in!underrepresented!

stakeholders!

Facilita:ng!informed!

delibera:on!

Suppor:ng!the!move!to!

collabora:on!and!consensusBbuilding!

Iden:fying!social!and!psychological!drivers!of!

effec:ve!civic!engagement!(Social!science),

NLP!techniques!to!support!effec:ve!civic!engagement!

(Computer!Science)!,

Designing!to!support!the!cycle!of!civic!engagement!!

(HCI),

Overcoming the Hurdles Recruitment((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Delibera8ve(

Discussion(Consensus5Building(

Bringing(in(underrepresented(

stakeholders(

Facilita:ng!informed!

delibera:on!

Suppor:ng!the!move!to!

collabora:on!and!consensusBbuilding!

Iden:fying!social!and!psychological!drivers!of!

effec:ve!civic!engagement!(Social!science),

NLP!techniques!to!support!effec:ve!civic!engagement!

(Computer!Science)!,

Designing!to!support!the!cycle!of!civic!engagement!!

(HCI),

Overcoming the Hurdles Recruitment((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Delibera8ve(

Discussion(Consensus5Building(

Bringing!in!underrepresented!

stakeholders!

Facilita8ng(informed(

delibera8on(

Suppor:ng!the!move!to!

collabora:on!and!consensusBbuilding!

Iden:fying!social!and!psychological!drivers!of!

effec:ve!civic!engagement!(Social!science),

NLP!techniques!to!support!effec:ve!civic!engagement!

(Computer!Science)!,

Designing!to!support!the!cycle!of!civic!engagement!!

(HCI),

Overcoming the Hurdles Recruitment((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Delibera8ve(

Discussion(Consensus5Building(

Bringing!in!underrepresented!

stakeholders!

Facilita:ng!informed!

delibera:on!

Suppor8ng(the(move(to(

collabora8on(and(consensus5building(

Iden:fying!social!and!psychological!drivers!of!

effec:ve!civic!engagement!(Social!science),

NLP!techniques!to!support!effec:ve!civic!engagement!

(Computer!Science)!,

Designing!to!support!the!cycle!of!civic!engagement!!

(HCI),

Overcoming the Hurdles Recruitment((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Delibera8ve(

Discussion(Consensus5Building(

Bringing!in!underrepresented!

stakeholders!

Facilita:ng!informed!

delibera:on!

Suppor:ng!the!move!to!

collabora:on!and!consensusBbuilding!

Iden:fying!social!and!psychological!drivers!of!

effec:ve!civic!engagement!(Social(science)!

NLP!techniques!to!support!effec:ve!civic!engagement!

(Computer(Science)(!

Designing!to!support!the!cycle!of!civic!engagement!!

(HCI)!

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.   Motivated awareness barrier

2.  Information barrier

3.  Participation literacy barrier

Motivated Awareness

•  Communica8ons(outreach(plan(•  Iden:fy!stakeholders!•  Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on!•  Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads!

•  Coordinated!media!outreach!•  Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)!

•  Personal!stake!•  Par:cipa:on!efficacy!

•  Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks!•  Peer!referencing!•  Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!

Motivated Awareness

•  Communica8ons(outreach(plan(•  Iden:fy!stakeholders!•  Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on!•  Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads!

•  Coordinated!media!outreach!•  Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)!

•  Personal!stake!•  Par:cipa:on!efficacy!

•  Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks!•  Peer!referencing!•  Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!

Motivated Awareness

•  Communica:ons!outreach!plan!•  Iden:fy!stakeholders!•  Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on!•  Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads!

•  Coordinated(media(outreach(•  Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)!

•  Personal!stake!•  Par:cipa:on!efficacy!

•  Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks!•  Peer!referencing!•  Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!

Motivated Awareness

•  Communica:ons!outreach!plan!•  Iden:fy!stakeholders!•  Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on!•  Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads!

•  Coordinated!media!outreach!•  Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)!

•  Personal!stake!•  Par:cipa:on!efficacy!

•  Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks!•  Peer!referencing!•  Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!

Motivated Awareness

•  Communica:ons!outreach!plan!•  Iden:fy!stakeholders!•  Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on!•  Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads!

•  Coordinated!media!outreach!•  Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)!

•  Personal!stake!•  Par:cipa:on!efficacy!

•  Leveraging(exis8ng(social(networks(•  Peer!referencing!•  Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.  Motivated awareness barrier

2.   Information barrier

3.  Participation literacy barrier

Accessibility

•  No:ces!of!proposed!rulemaking!(NPRMs)!•  Economic!analyses!!

"  Triage!!"  Transla:on!"  Layering!

Accessibility

•  No:ces!of!proposed!rulemaking!(NPRMs)!•  Economic!analyses!!

"  Triage!!"  Transla:on!"  Layering!

Accessibility

•  No:ces!of!proposed!rulemaking!(NPRMs)!•  Economic!analyses!!

"  Triage!!"  Transla:on!"  Layering!

Triage

Translation •  Airline!regula:on!=!25,000!word!No:ce!of!Proposed!Rulemaking!(NPRM)!+!34,000!word!CostBBenefit!Analysis!

• Home!mortgage!NPRM!>!800!manuscript!pages!• Graduate!school!level!readability!score!!

In!addi:on,!the!Bureau!has!the!authority!to,!amer!considering!enumerated!factors,!condi:onally!or!uncondi:onally!exempt!any!class!of!covered!persons,!service!providers,!or!consumer!financial!products!or!services!from!any!provision!of!this!:tle,!or!from!any!rule!issued!under!this!:tle,!as!the!Bureau!determines!necessary!or!appropriate!to!carry!out!the!purposes!and!objec:ves!of!this!:tle![:tle!X!of!the!DoddBFrank!Act].!

Consumers!have!the!right!to!dispute!a!debt!in!collec:on,!and!both!FTC!and!CFPB!get!a!lot!of!complaints!that!collectors!have!the!wrong!debtor!or!are!trying!to!collect!more!than!what's!owed.!

vs.!From!an!original!NPRM! From!a!translated!NPRM!

Layering

Hurdles to civic engagement

1.  Motivated awareness barrier

2.  Information barrier

3.   Participation literacy barrier

Facilitating Participation

• Educa:onal!materials!• Targeted!commen:ng!• Facilita:ve!modera:on!• Site!design!

Educational Materials

Targeted Commenting

Targeted Commenting

Facilitative Moderation

Facilitative Moderation

Site Design

•  Suppor:ng!moderator!efforts!&!communica:ng!norms!•  “Endorse”!func:on!•  “Recommend”!func:on!

Site Design

•  Suppor:ng!moderator!efforts!&!communica:ng!norms!•  “Endorse”!func:on!•  “Recommend”!func:on!

•  Teaching!community!and!commen:ng!norms!

Site Design

•  Suppor:ng!moderator!efforts!&!communica:ng!norms!•  “Endorse”!func:on!•  “Recommend”!func:on!

•  Teaching!community!and!commen:ng!norms!•  Increasing!the!visible!value!of!contribu:on!

•  Trivia!challenges,!points,!badges,!rewards!

Editing Interfaces

• Wri:ng!support!• Collabora:on!• Policymakers!• Advancement!

Editing Interfaces

• Wri8ng(support(• Collabora:on!• Policymakers!• Advancement!

Editing Interfaces

• Wri:ng!support!• Collabora8on(• Policymakers!• Advancement!

Editing Interfaces

• Wri:ng!support!• Collabora:on!• Policymakers(• Advancement(

Editing Interfaces

• Wri:ng!support!• Collabora:on!• Policymakers!• Advancement(

Mechanical Turk study

• Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders!• Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity!• Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on!

• Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers!• Opportunity!

• Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es!•  Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!

Mechanical Turk study

• Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders!• Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity!• Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on!

• Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers!• Opportunity!

• Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es!•  Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!

Mechanical Turk study

• Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders!• Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity!• Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt(contribu8on(

• Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers!• Opportunity!

• Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es!•  Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!

Mechanical Turk study

• Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders!• Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity!• Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on!

• Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical(Turk(Workers(• Opportunity!

• Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es!•  Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!

Mechanical Turk study

• Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders!• Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity!• Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on!

• Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers!• Opportunity(

• Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es!•  Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!

Measuring Engagement • Standard(web(analy8cs(

•  #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views!

• Volume!of!new!voices!•  64%!<!volume!<!98%!

• Civic!educa:on!• Value!to!policymakers!

•  Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules!•  Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on!•  In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different!sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!

Measuring Engagement • Standard!web!analy:cs!

•  #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views!

• Volume(of(new(voices(•  64%!<!volume!<!98%!

• Civic!educa:on!• Value!to!policymakers!

•  Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules!•  Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on!•  In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different!sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!

Measuring Engagement • Standard!web!analy:cs!

•  #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views!

• Volume!of!new!voices!•  64%!<!volume!<!98%!

• Civic(educa8on(• Value!to!policymakers!

•  Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules!•  Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on!•  In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different!sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!

Measuring Engagement • Standard!web!analy:cs!

•  #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views!

• Volume!of!new!voices!•  64%!<!volume!<!98%!

• Civic!educa:on!• Value(to(policymakers(

•  Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules!•  Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on!•  In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different!sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!

To Conclude…

•  Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!!

To Conclude…

•  Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!!• Must!iden:fy!and!nurture!required!capabili:es!

To Conclude…

•  Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!!• Must!iden:fy!and!nurture!required!capabili:es!• More!projects!to!determine!strategies!and!resources!to!sa:sfy!both!policymakers!&!ci:zens!

To Conclude…

•  Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!!• Must!iden:fy!and!nurture!required!capabili:es!• More!projects!to!determine!strategies!and!resources!to!sa:sfy!both!policymakers!&!ci:zens!

Thank(you!(Ques:ons,!feedback,!and!guidance!welcome!

!Elizabeth!Murnane!elm236@cornell.edu!