The Journal
How we work, what we're thinking, and what we've shipped. Articles on our methods and mission, announcements about the project, and a running changelog — all in plain language.
How a Scorecard Avoids Being Rigged
A politician's scorecard is only worth reading if both sides trust the math — here is exactly how we keep ours from tilting.
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A scorecard is only trustworthy if a conservative and a progressive both believe the math wasn't cooked for the other side.
— The Civic Herald team
Federal Coverage Is Live
Plain-language briefings for every active federal bill are live, roll-call votes land daily, and the assistant cites the sections it draws from.
Plain Language Is a Trust Decision
Rewriting a 45-page bill into plain language isn't a UX nicety — it's how we keep the source reachable instead of replacing it.
Recruiting Our Founding Reviewer Cohort
We're recruiting the founding reviewer cohort — balanced left, center, and right, leans disclosed publicly, and the review itself done blind.
Derived vs. Fetched: Why We Never Blur the Line
An official number and a model's estimate are not the same kind of thing — so we label them differently and never let one wear the other's clothes.
Salience Is Not Impact
How loud a bill is, how much it changes the world, and how well it fits your values are three separate questions — so we answer them separately.
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