Voice Of the People (VOP) is a nonpartisan organization working to re-anchor our democracy in its founding principles by giving ‘We the People’ a greater and more effective voice in government.

VOP partners with the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation (PPC), which conducts public consultations nationally, and in states and districts, to analyze and disseminate public consultation survey findings. Public consultation surveys are conducted online with large representative samples who go through policymaking simulations designed to put people in the shoes of policymakers. The content of each simulation is reviewed by proponents and opponents of the proposals to ensure that the briefings are accurate and balanced and the arguments are the strongest ones being made. The policymaking simulation is then fielded online as a survey with a large representative sample of citizens. Findings are released to the media and reported to Members of Congress and the Executive Branch. A policymaking simulation is an online process that puts citizens in the shoes of elected officials by simulating the process they go through in making policy decisions. Each simulation introduces a broader policy topic and then presents a series of modules that address a specific policy option that is currently under consideration in the current discourse. For each module, respondents:

1. receive a short briefing on a policy issue and the option or options for addressing it;
2. evaluate arguments for and against the policy options; and
3. finally, make their recommendation for what their elected officials should do. After taking the policymaking simulation, you’ll have the opportunity to make your voice heard by sending your recommendations to your member(s) of Congress. You will have the opportunity to add a personal note to your representative, or share more details about your recommendations, if you wish. VOP has worked with the Program for Public Consultation to develop simulations on the following issues. Give one a try!