Project

Vote Purple '20

Copyright

MIT Media Lab

Daniel Marquez

Project Contact:
Groups

With Vote Purple '20, we are continuing our work of presenting a cognitive middle ground in media consumption - with a targeted focus on the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections. 

We created a set of eight one minute videos that outline some aspect of a prominent social issue expressing both sides.  For each we ask where you stand.  In the US, red equal Republican, Blue equals Democrat.  For each of these we add purple:  you lie in the middle.

Our work is not partisan.  It is intended to be depolarizing.  To get people to see how strongly they feel about issues and to tease apart one that may matter a lot to them from others where they may common ground with people they don’t often agree with.  For example, some people may feel very strongly about the environment but are less wedded to a particular economic idea like taxes.  The impassioned points often cloud the conversation and the decision.  But maybe they will be less of a one-issue voter if they broaden the context of their thinking.  And if they think, perhaps they will be more likely to vote.  

That's what we hope will happen.