Michael Lewis in his 2003 book Moneyball wrote in-part about how baseball has become an unfair game controlled by the big-spending teams. The same can be said of our political system, and the problem is only getting worse.

1. putorti
Moneyball
for Votes

2. 1787

3. Article the first... After the first enumeration required by
the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one
Representative for every thirty thousand, until the
number shall amount to one hundred, after which the
proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there
shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor
less than one Representative for every forty thousand
persons, until the number of Representatives shall
amount to two hundred; after which the proportion
shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not
be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more
than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons.

4. Article the first... After the first enumeration required by
the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one
Representative for every thirty thousand, until the
number shall amount to one hundred, after which the
proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there
shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor
less than one Representative for every forty thousand
persons, until the number of Representatives shall
amount to two hundred; after which the proportion
shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not
be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more
than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons.

5. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_congressional_apportionment

6. Source: nationalatlas.gov

7. 1
33,000
1
709,760
Source: Wikipedia
1793 2008

8. Source: why435.org
6,000 — 10,000
Article I
435
Today

9. Source: why435.org
1
90,000
1
709,760CONGRESS
HOUSE of
COMMONS

10. PROBLEM
Intermediaries necessary

11. Source: opensecrets.org

12. PROBLEM
Too easy for moneyed
interests to buy votes

13. Source: opensecrets.org
$3.55B
Total lobbying spending in 2010

14. For every dollar spent on lobbying, the
companies got $220 in tax benefits... a return
of 22,000%.”
Alex Blumberg
Source: npr.com
“

15. PROBLEM
Winning votes to be
elected is very expensive

16. Source: opensecrets.org
$6.5M
Cost to win Senate race in 2008
$1.1M
Cost to win Congressional race in 2008

17. 1948

19. 1964

21. 1988

23. 2004

24. Source: theatlantic.com

26. What do we have?

28. The new intermediaries
SOLUTION

30. SOLUTION
Disrupt mass media by
using a cheaper channel
to deliver votes

31. Mass media
• Top-down, one-to-
many
• Expensive, self-
reinforcing
• Message concentrated
in few hands
• Command-and-control
organization
Social media
• Many-to-many
• Cheap, accessible
• Message can evolve
• New blocs can form
based on shared
interest
• Self-organization

32. SOLUTION
Use their tools
to your advantage

33. Before
• Voter data kept
hidden by political
parties
• Consumer data
expensive, locked
away
• TV watching high
• Phone, location,
transit limits message
Now
• Voter roll data available
to the public
• Data is being shared on
Facebook
• TV on the decline; cell
phones, internet
increasing
• Messages can spread
virally

35. SOLUTION
“I’ll deliver my votes
to you if...”

36. Still Happening
• Donors and their
agendas most
important
• Negative ads
dominate
• Politicians forced to
satisfy donors to be
re-elected
• Outspending
Future
• New power-brokers on
social media are the
most important
• Positive messages
dominate
• Politicians need to hold
support of engaged
citizenry
• Outfriending

37. “the person who brings in the most online voters
between now and September 10 will win coffee
with the Congresswoman”

38. IN CONCLUSION
Apathy is out,
engagement is in

40. putorti
Thank you