Even though there's no shortage of public political outrage, engagement is at a low and a sense of political alienation permeates among people around the world. Now, at least in America, one app hopes to democratise the democratic process itself.
iCitizen for iOS and Android allows users to follow the issues that concern them and reconnect the people with their political representatives. Claiming to be unbiased and avoiding partisanship, iCitizen promises to show all points of view and can feed that information back to politicians themselves. The app has already been well received by an ex Senate Majority Leader as well as the former mayor of Nashville, who are both serving in an advisory role for the company.
Daily polls aim to collate public opinion, while users can also view legislation and register their support or opposition, call and email politicians through the app, voting records are on display, and representatives can even be rated and reviewed.
Described as "extraordinary" by influential American political blog Politico, iCitizen hopes it can offer a "platform that changes government the way iTunes changed music."