Here is our first visualization of the opinions collected during the American Townhall on Health Care from September 12-13, 2009 in Washington, DC. Click on the map to view the data in greater detail.
Concerns with the current system are blue and concerns with the proposed changes are red. Regardless of party affiliation, everyone was asked for both.
Researchers (and you!) are encouraged to slice/dice/analyze the raw data to surface other trends (using a less restrictive Creative Commons Share-Alike License instead of standard copyright).
We are excited to say that we collected 1100 opinions about health care from across the political spectrum. We talked with and listened to people on both sides of the health care debate. This was an all-volunteer effort and we finally have everything digitized.
You may be interested in taking the conversation to the next level. We’re using custom software to map out the conversation and dive deeper than the sound bites. You can read/rate/respond to what other Americans said at our town hall meeting. You’ll find some people that agree with you and some that disagree.
It is our goal to stimulate an engaging conversation where the highest-rated ideas rise to the top. We want to provide a space where we Americans can speak for ourselves in a highly productive fashion. If this conversation gains traction online, then we’ll be able to bring it to the attention of the media– so if you believe in what we’re doing, spread the word!
What’s next?
The first conversation we created deals with the concerns with the proposed legislation. This is new conversation mapping software so it will be different. If you’re comfortable with online tools, you’ll probably get the hang of it in a minute or two. You can also check out the quick-start guide for a brief introduction. This conversation will be open until September 30th.
If this first conversation goes well, we’ll hold a second conversation about concerns with the current system. As promised, all raw data and opinions from our town hall meeting are posted online for researchers to analyze (using a less restrictive Creative Commons Share-Alike License instead of standard copyright). In the coming days, several other organizations will build visualizations of this data with maps and other online tools.
How to Contact Us
We had a great time talking with you and other fellow Americans here in DC. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Feel free to forward this invitation to folks back home who were not able to attend the town hall last week here in DC.
Welcome, and thanks for visiting. If you’ve heard of our website, you know that we’re asking Americans to speak for themselves and to share their concerns with the current health care system and the proposed changes.
Here is the link to the survey online. (Note, the survey is now finished.)
Although it’s brief, this survey goes deeper; it gives you a chance to not just state your position but to also explain your reasons. Our nation deserves a more in-depth conversation about health care, and with your help we can work to make that happen. Democracy takes work!
We expect that people will attend the American Townhall on Health Care because they are concerned about something. We will frame the questions so that they can directly address these concerns. During Phase I, we’ll ask all participants for a written response to both of the following questions:
“What are your concerns with the current health care system?”
“What are your concerns with the proposed changes to the current system?”
These two questions seem to work well together and cover most concerns that Americans might have. Focusing on just two questions will make it easier for more people to participate.
One disadvantage of only asking about concerns is that people will focus on the negative. On the other hand, we only have a short amount of time with each participant and it’s more efficient to focus on what they want changed. Subsequent conversations both online and offline can build a more complete picture of what they want to remain the same.
Please add your comments about these questions in the section below. Do you have suggestions for alternate questions? Will the President’s speech to Congress on September 9th create a need for different questions?
As a group of volunteers we are using this blog to organize for September 12th. Here is a draft script that volunteers may decide use as a basis for their interaction with participants. You may also want to view the responsibilities of the volunteers.
Outreach
Hi, would you like to participate in a truly citizen-run townhall on health care? It’s a chance for you to speak your opinion without being filtered. It’s going on right over there [point]. We want to show that townhall meetings are great ways for citizens to have their voices heard.
Orientation
Hi, welcome to the American Townhall on health care. It’s been put together by a group of volunteer communication professionals who in their day jobs help others think, talk and act together to solve problems. Our role today is as neutral players or moderators. We have no political agenda, will offer no opinions, and back no health care plan on the table. Our interest is in providing a structured and friendly discussion so you can be heard, so others can hear your stories–what you care about, what you’re afraid of in this debate, what you’re not sure of, and what you’re willing and unwilling to sacrifice to get what you want.
By the end of the process, which should take 30-90 minutes, we’d like to see if you and the group you’ll be with can come up with suggestions that 80% of Americans could agree with. We’re broadcasting these conversations live online, and the outcome of your discussions will be put up on the Internet for anyone to see. We want all of you to have an impact in this debate, so here’s how we’ll do it:
This is a chance for you to speak your opinions without being filtered. There are three phases: Phase I is brainstorming, Phase II is listening, speaking, and voting, and Phase III is an optional dialogue where you will be talking with others that probably disagree with you. All the data will be anonymous and made public on the Internet for others to analyze. Video from this event is also broadcast live online. We have a few ground rules that everyone is expected to follow (read them here). Do you agree to these ground rules? Do you have any questions that I may answer? Here is your clipboard. This page is for writing down your opinions during Phase I, and this page is for voting during Phase II. Here’s your copy of the ground rules. Your participant number is written at the top of each page. This will be fun and productive. If you have any questions or concerns, the volunteer organizers are identified by these red, white, and blue lanyards.
Phase I: Brainstorming
This is the phase where you will write down your opinions. Instructions are on the sheet. You’ll identify your top concerns with the current health care system and your top concerns with proposed changes to the current system. During Phase II, other participants will be voting on your ideas so it’s important to explain your reasons.
Phase II: Listening, Speaking, and Voting
In this phase, you’ll get a chance to read your opinions to other participants. Those folks will vote whether or not they support your idea. Everyone starts off by reading their participant number and the idea’s number. You’ll get the hang of it when you watch some people go first. When you are ready, you may go to Phase III, go back to Phase I, or decide to exit the townhall. If you finish, the last station is over there where you will turn in your papers and provide feedback on the process.
Phase III: Optional Dialogue
[These instructions will be determined by each dialogue facilitator.]
Feedback Station
Thank you for taking the time to participate. The project’s website is AmericanTownhalls.Org. Did you want to leave your email address to be notified of when you can participate online? Did you enjoy this process? Do you have any suggestions for making it better? We’re open until 6pm; do you have friends or family nearby that you would recommend this experience to? Would you also like to help out as a volunteer for a while?
We currently have 25 volunteers (from DC, MD, VA, NY, and CT) and those numbers will grow as we continue reaching out to other groups. The more volunteers we have, the more successful this event will be.
We’ll mix the tasks up throughout the day so that no one gets tired or bored doing any one thing for too long.
It will be a great day with tremendous energy from several simultaneous events on the National mall. Please consider joining us to help with the following tasks:
Outreach to passers-by and attendees of other events
Look out for potential conflict situations among participants
Provide instructions during the brainstorming in Phase I
Facilitate the questions and answers session in Phase II
Collect feedback as participants depart
Clean-up at 6pm
Key tasks requiring expertise:
Answer questions that the participants have about the legislation that will be in front of Congress at that time
Facilitate a dialogue in Phase III (mediation and conflict resolution experience required)
Contact us if you can volunteer and be present on the National Mall on Saturday September 12th. If you’re schedule only permits volunteering for just a portion of the townhall– that’s great, we’re happy to have you on board!
You may also want to view the script that the volunteers may use as a starting point as they engage with participants.
Dialogue will occur in Phase III of the townhall. Each dialogue facilitator will choose his or her own format for their small group dialogue. Facilitators will also be free to choose their own questions.
Here are some questions we can address:
Regarding health care, what can 80% of Americans agree on?
What information are you seeking that would help you make sense of health care reform?
Where do you personally feel torn between two tough choices?
What benefits of the current system are you willing to give up?
What benefits of the current system are you not willing to give up?
Would you pay higher taxes for better care for other Americans?
What choices do we have?
Which points of view are not represented at the table?
Is it fair to require all small businesses to pay health insurance costs for their employees?
What effect, if any, would requiring all citizens to obtain at least a minimum amount of health insurance have on the rising cost of health care?
Would insurance policies with high deductibles discourage people from getting regular check-ups and going to their doctors for early diagnosis and treatment of symptoms, which are the means of keeping medical costs down?
What might be the consequences if every state enacted different laws about health-care coverage?
Should Congress make laws that would limit amounts that could be awarded to plaintiffs in malpractice cases?
Are you reasonably satisfied tha tyou are getting your money’s worth from the health-care costs you pay for?
Do you think Americans should be free to shop overseas for less expensive drugs?
Hospitals, health-care providers, insurance companies, and drug companies are all part of the health-care system. Should the government control prices charged by any of these entities?
Most other developed nations have health-care coverage for all their citizens. Should that matter to Americans?
Will government-finance health insurance remove individuals’ incentives to keep their health care costs down?
Would you be willing to pay higher taxes for a government-managed health insurance system?
Should a government-sponsored insurance plan for all Americans include financial penalties for conditions that result from a patient’s poor health habits?
What other questions should we address? Please feel free to make suggestions in the comments section.
Some folks are expressing legitimate concerns that dialogue will not be possible on September 12th on the National Mall due to the politically charged climate.
I firmly believe that dialogue is possible, but it will require us to work hard. Here is a video I filmed when interviewing participants of the TEA Party in front of the White House on April 15, 2009:
Here are the other videos I filmed from the TEA Party in front of the White House that day.
What do you think about our plan to reduce the risk of conflict and set the conditions which are conducive to effective dialogue? When we do that, we will have achieved our goals.
It’s probable that some participants will arrive with the desire to get into a shouting match with others. We will reduce the risk of conflict in the following ways:
While people are waiting in line, there will be live music to help put people in a good mood.
Event staff will keep an eye on the line where people are waiting to reduce tensions before they flair up.
The National Park Police will be nearby just in case.
During the orientation, participants will agree to civil ground rules.
There are three phases to this townhall process (Brainstorm, Speak & Rate, Dialogue) so that we can ease people into a state of mind where they are open to dialogue.
During Phase I (Brainstorming), participants will write their opinions down so that they can pause to think in a deeper fashion.
During Phase II (Speaking & Voting), participants will read their written statements and not create opinions on the spot. This
During Phase II, participants will be seated in circles rather than in standard theater seating that we’ve seen at recent townhalls which creates an us-vs-them mentality.
During Phase II, participants will join circles that are already partially filled with other participants. This will encourage everyone to start off by listening until they initially feel comfortable.
During Phase II, there will be a facilitator present in each circle.
During Phase III, dialogue will be performed in small groups in a more intimate setting.
During Phase III, there will be a facilitator present in each dialogue.
At the end, participants will have a chance to register complaints or suggest improvements to the process so we have a tight feedback loop and can catch problems early.
Folks that come in small groups will be encouraged to participate separately so that any conflict is between individuals instead of between groups.
During the orientation, we will brief participants on the ground rules. Here is a rough draft:
Participants will remain curious and respect their fellow Americans in this dialogue, even though they may disagree.
Participants will listen to what others are saying and should expect to be listened to.
Participants will not interrupt others and should expect to not be interrupted.
Participants will speak as briefly and concisely as possible in making their points, will use respectful language, and will remain aware that others are waiting their turn to speak as well.
Participants will help each other honor these rules.
What do you think? What are we missing and what should we change?
It’s probable that some participants will arrive with the desire to get into a shouting match with others. We will reduce the risk of conflict in the following ways:
During the orientation, we will brief participants on the ground rules. Here is a rough draft:
