WHAT IS POLITALKING?

My  name is Veronica Smith, and I am a senior at Vanderbilt University studying Political Science and Communication Studies. In the Fall of 2019, I began an independent research study to identify the main issues causing what I believed to be an overall very unproductive state of political discourse in the United States.

 

After analyzing several research studies, polls, and in-person interviews, I found that the most prominent reasons for this state can be summed up by three major issues:

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1. Most popular forums for public discussion portray a skewed view of overall public opinion, amplifying the loudest and often most radical voices

2. Most people consider political communication to be a negative experience

3. There is a fundamental disconnect among people's beliefs as to what constitutes appropriate political discussion

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These issues are all too common and seemingly unsolvable. But I believe that they are merely indicators of conversational roadblocks that we as a society are more than capable of overcoming. And I believe that the best way to do so is by turning the public communication sphere into a more positive, welcoming and productive place.

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To do so, I needed to find a way to change this space organically by empowering participants themselves to intentionally engage in productive political discourse. In came Politalking - an interactive database that helps users strengthen their political communication skills by exposing them to strategies for productive discussion (read more about them here).

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Users, having been given the tools to do so, will be able to make the political communications sphere a better place. And with the opportunity to share your own ideas, strategies, and experiences, users will be able to actively engage in that process - joining a community of citizens who all have one goal: improving the state of political communications in our country. 

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So let's get talking!

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Veronica Smith

December 2019