Issue Space

1. Issue Space Conceptual Overview

2. The Issue • Can be posed as a question • Should Creationism be taught in public schools? • Should the US military pull out of Afghanistan? • Should there be more control over access to guns? • What is the best way to evaluate teacher performance?

3. The Issue Statements • Statements relevant to the Issue • Facts intended to help a viewer understand the Issue • May cite studies that clarify aspects of the Issue • May include links to web sites or documents • Assumptions relevant to the Issue • Assertions relative to the Issue • Questions about the Issue Statements • Statements relevant to other statements • These may be corroboration of the statement • These may refute or debunk the statement • Answers to questions about the Issue

4. The Issue Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals • Proposed course of action to resolve an issue • Enactment or repeal of legislation • Establishment of study commissions • Revision or overhaul of regulations Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements • Statements relevant to proposals • These may be votes of support for the proposal • These may be votes against the solution • These may point out unintended consequences of a proposal

5. The Issue Statements Proposals Proposals Statements Statements

6. The Issue Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Projections Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements • Proposal inherently assume projections • What will happen when the proposal is implemented • How long it will take to garner benefits • How it resolves the Issue • Known negative consequences

7. The Issue Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Projections Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements • Statements relevant to projections • May support or oppose a projection • Some of these may be reclassifies as projections themselves Statements

8. Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements The Issue Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Projections Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements • Statements relevant to projections • May support or oppose a projection • Some of these may be reclassifies as projections themselves Statements

9. Statements Statements The Issue Resolution? Understanding? Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Proposals Projections Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements Statements

10. Issue Database Schema • Issue Table Record • Issue ID • Issue Short Name • Issue Long Name • Issue Owner (a system UserID) • Issue Team ID • Issue Start Date • Issue Status (open, suspended, closed, ??) • Relates to Issue (Issue ID of related issue)

11. Issue Database Schema • Statement Table Record • Issue ID • Statement ID • Related Statement ID (can be null or N/A if it relates directly to the Issue) • SourceID (a source that the user is citing to support an assertion - may be null) • Statement Type (Fact, Like, Dislike, Proposal, Assumption, ??) • Source (cited source to validate the statement) • Entry Type (Original, Edit by Owner, Edit by Manager) • Statement Theme (code used to tag statements which are essentially the same) • Date Entered • Date Last Edited • Statement Status (Include, exclude for policy violation, under review, ??) • Statement Text

12. Issue Database Schema • User Record • UserID • User Display Name • User Name (first, last) • User Location (city, state, zip) • User Age (or year/month of birth) • User Registration Date • User email • User IP Address (to validate location) • User Password (encrypted) • User Security Question Response • Date Last Login • Date Last Entry • User Status (Active, On Hold, • User Type ( administrator, issue manager, member, ??)

13. Issue Database Schema • Issue Management Team Record • TeamID • Member 1 UserID • Member 2 UserID • Member 3 UserID • Member 4 UserID • Member 5 UserID

14. Issue Database Schema • Source Table • SourceID • Source Name (New York Times, Fox News, Book Title, Magazine Article, can be null if a speech by an individual is cited) • Source Author • Source date (may be mmddyyy, mmyyyy, or yyyy) My sense is that this list needs to be structured and searchable. User should be allowed to select from a list broken down into media, literature, people, etc. by free form search. If source does not exist then user can create a new one. Issue Managers will have to review to eliminate duplicates if they arise.

15. Security • Need strong security to protect the system from hacking • Issue managers need robust tools to analyze records to identify and eliminate “astroturfing” and other attempts to hijack issues. • Include CAPTCHA on all entries to protect against scripted entries.

16. Issue Management • Managers are able to read and reclassify user entries as necessary • Managers can delete or edit entries at a user’s request. User identity must be confirmed. • Managers can flag statements that violate system policy and “soft” delete them (set status to “policy violation”).

17. Issue Map Another Issue Something Else Iraq War 2012 Federal Budget Yet another Issue Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Tax System Overhaul Collective bargaining for state workers Immigration Policy Campaign Finance Reform