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Polis is an open-source online platform designed to enable a constructive exchange of opinions around a given topic. Sitra is introducing this democracy innovation in Finland in co-operation with DigiFinland.
What is it about?
In recent decades, digitalisation and social media have entailed a strong promise of democracy. The internet was thought to improve access to information and the exchange of ideas in a way that would also revolutionise participation in social debate and decision-making.
Recently, however, the transformation of the media environment has been seen as a threat to the foundations of democracy. Social debate on social media channels is often polarising, partly because the underlying logic of social media platforms specifically favours controversial opinions.
Although digitalisation has transformed the world in many other ways, there has been little innovation in the field of democracy. A Sitra survey shows that Finns are interested in agile, anonymous and digital ways of getting involved in and influencing decision-making.
Polis is an open-source online platform designed to enable large groups to engage constructively on a chosen topic. In Polis, participants can anonymously express their views on the arguments presented on a topic and submit their own formulated arguments to the discussion for others to vote on.
Polis uses advanced statistical analysis to produce real-time data on where participants agree and differ. The possibility to influence question-setting in their own words distinguishes Polis from other digital participation tools and gives initiative to the participants. With Polis, decision-makers gain valuable insights into, among other things, which statements are supported by groups that voted differently.
Platform features such as anonymity, a simple user interface, language translation, and the removal of direct commenting lower the threshold for the silent majority to engage in discussions. The new user interface being developed in Finland also considers GDPR requirements, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 evaluation), and user-friendliness.
Hey Polis Developers! Contact us if you are interested in collaborating in the European Open Source Polis Community!
What do we do?
Sitra is funding an experimental project implemented by DigiFinland to enable the use of the Polis platform in Finland. DigiFinland is a special-assignment company that promotes the digitalisation of public administration.
We also fund and support Polis trials at various levels of public administration, such as in well-being regions. We aim to enhance understanding of the platform’s use and explore ways to integrate discussions held on the platform into formal decision-making processes. Our goal is for citizens to participate broadly in decision-making across society through the Polis platform.
The experiences of the regions participating in the Polis experiment will be shared with other regions in the Democracy Theme Group led by Sitra so that workable methods can be more widely adopted.
Where are we now?
The Polis platform has been widely tested in Finland, and a new user interface is being developed based on the lessons learned. At the start of the project, a GDPR-compliant trial version of the Polis platform was created, with translations and other technical improvements implemented.
Initially, Polis was tested with seven well-being regions to enhance residents’ opportunities to participate in regional decision-making. We also trialled Polis at the national level with the ‘What fo you think Finland?’ campaign. In total, over 30 Polis discussions have been organised.
In autumn 2024, DigiFinland will continue to develop the new user interface.
Who is involved?
Polis was developed by the Computational Democracy Project, a US-based non-profit organisation. Sitra is introducing Polis in Finland in co-operation with DigiFinland, which is responsible for technical implementation and service provision.
We are engaging in international collaboration with leading democracy technology experts to leverage research in the field and share practical insights.
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