Do-it-Yourself Democracy – California

If you live in the state of California and are passionate about the condition of your community and your state and would like to do your part in influencing laws, rights, justice, even road repairs, then you need to get the Do-it-Yourself Democracy – California app for iPhone and iPod Touch!  This reference app provides you with the access and tools you need to make in impact in your community and state.  It includes real world explanations of state and federal laws, as opposed to the lawyered up versions, a complete list of local, state, and federal representatives, including their contact information, you can even contact representatives and challenge laws directly from the app!  That’s not all, it even has an online forum where you can discuss issues with other like minded Do-it-Yourself Democrats.

Prometheus Institute Inc., the app’s creator, did an excellent job laying out the app.  Although there’s a lot of information and detail within the app it’s suprisingly easy to navigate and use.  When the app first opens it prompts you to either enter your zip code or to let it find your location so it can provide you with most pertinent information.  From there you can choose from navigate to four different categories: Rights & Laws, Representatives, Take Action, and Public Forum.  When viewing Rights & Laws, Representatives, and Take Action you can conveniently filter by Federal, State, Local, or View All.

Here’s a brief summary of what each section has to offer:

Rights & Laws: Real world explanation of California state and federal rights and laws and how they’re applied in court, including extras like sales tax rates and budget information for your local area

Representatives: Complete listing of your local, state, and federal political representatives, including the option to call, email, or visit their website

Public Forum: Share complaints and campaign with other users in your area

Overall I think Do-it-Yourself Democracy – California is a must have app for any Californian.  First of all it’s FREE so why the heck wouldn’t you download it!  Second of all, and most important, it offers a wealth of information, knowledge, and convenience that every citizen can use.  It’d take me 10 pages to adequately describe all of the categories and information included in this app.  If there was one thing that I would change with the app it’d be that you could save your zip code so you’re not prompted to enter it each time you open the app.  Using the GPS locator isn’t always the best way to go because unless you’re at your house each time you open the app it’ll display info for another community.   Aside from making that minor tweak I feel like the app is near perfect.  Yeah, there are are a couple other nice-to-have features I could think of, but after checking out the App Store page it looks like they’re already in the works!

Posted by Ryan Johnson
on Feb 1, 2010
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