Though Facebook statistics are routinely used to measure participation and vote intentions, as well as a channel to influence politics, its reliability for such purposes is questionable. Transparency and privacy issues coupled with the determinedly profit based model of Facebook does not make it a reliably neutral vehicle for opinions.
Facebook algorithms and general disregard for its users is far from the only factor behind voters’ disengagement in most democracies today. Many potential voters, especially young people, do not believe that they can influence their elected leaders’ decisions anymore and democracies are increasingly suffering from dropping voting rates.
In short, what is needed is a neutral, transparent and secure platform that will reopen the channels of communication between leaders and their people, ideally providing an integrated way to monitor the leaders’ behavior in real time, or even a way to hold them accountable and have built-in sanctions for leaders who breach the contract they took with their people when acceding to a position of people based on elections.
According to Forbes blockchain might be able to create exactly that. Coalichain for example, offers the solution everyone is looking for: a decentralized, transparent platform for social politics and democratic networking, where user’s accounts are verified, and where polls and surveys can give us a true, untainted picture of the current political climate.
When users are verified, and their actions are limited to their rate of participation, we might see a new breed of democracy grow and prosper. One that will not be fueled by cash and backroom deals, but by active participation and merit of the platform’s users. One where fundraising is transparent and enables all interested parties to see whether wannabe leaders are receiving large amounts from a few donors or small amounts from a multitude of donors.
When a secure, transparent and incorruptible platform is available, potential genuine leaders currently staying far away from the centers of power to safely maintain their integrity will hopefully consider entering the melee and restore trust in the leadership.
True Leaders will emerge, leaders motivated by promoting the common good. Leaders who, driven by the genuine and verified support of their voters, can galvanize, inspire and and truly lead.
This article originally appeared on - Hackernoon