My engaged project consisted of researching campaigns and understanding roadblocks to voter engagement. My goal was to compile useful information so citizens can quickly get involved in politics, no matter their previous level of civic engagement. After consulting with my sponsor and professors and doing extensive research, I built a “one-stop-shop” website for helping people get engaged. My audience is anyone who is trying to get engaged in politics on a local or national level.
Sponsor: Nick Nyhan, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and Chairman, Profiles Division, Kantar
Student reflection:
I learned a lot about the campaign and election process, such as the number of roadblocks that can legally be placed, the amount of voters who are willing to just stay home because they believe the messaging that their vote doesn’t matter anyway. I have a better understanding of the challenges faced by campaigns, and by voters who are trying to become engaged in a complex system. I also learned some new web design/development which will be useful in many future projects!
Instructor feedback:
At the risk of sounding cliché, it was a true pleasure working with you this semester! I appreciate that you knew exactly what topic you wanted to study, and that you dove headfirst into your work with diligence, organization, and purpose. Nevertheless, you remained open to learning and growing throughout the experience. You built a beautiful final project, and I am excited to see the impact it has over time as well as the spinoff endeavors that may follow it. (I can’t lie… I am imagining you running for office someday, and I’d be proud to vote for you!)