Case Summary

A non-partisan organization started by Newt Gingrich. The organizations' goal is to provide a forum for the American people, allowing them to share their solutions to problems facing the United States. This wiki site allows registered users to draft proposals, create teams, post comments and rewrite proposed solutions.

Business Challenge

Newt Gingrich thought that the current political landscape was too partisan and that the news media was too divisive for any substantial progress to be made in uniting people to help solve some of America's problems. So on September 27th, 2007 he launched a site called American Solutions for Winning the Future, which claimed to be non-partisan.

This site was created in order to bring the American people together and collaborate (share and critique each others ideas), enabling them to solve problems that affect the American people. What's interesting is that Newt Gingrich is using new technology to implement ideas brought forth by American citizens, not relying on the standard political system to address the publics' concerns.

"American Solutions for Winning the Future is a new, non-partisan organization
built around three goals: to defend America and our allies abroad and defeat
our enemies, to strengthen and revitalize America's core values, and to move the government into the 21st Century"1

Approach Taken

American Solutions is a wiki in that it allows users to read, change and comment on each other's proposed solutions. The site's front page presents recent solutions submitted, a featured solution, the top rated solutions and the solutions that were most viewed. In order to post a comment on a proposed solution, you must become a member through a free registration process.

When writing your proposed solution, you may mark it as a draft, which means your not done writing it and no one is therefore allowed to view or comment on it. There are two wiki's you're able write on. The first is called The Wild West Wiki where solution proposals are allowed to be edited by anyone with an account. The other wiki is titled the Collaborative Wiki, where you can join another person (they have to accept) if you like their proposal and make a team, which allows you to rewrite the solution. To get more interest towards your solution, you're able to send it to friends through a "Tell a friend" application.

The site also includes a blog, videos, audio and photos.

Results Achieved

American Solutions boasts a Citizen Action Network of 1.5 million members.

It has been recognized as having one of the top 5 email lists in politics.

The Wild West Wiki currently has 127 posted solutions

The Collaborative Wiki has 1,736 posted solutions

1.4 million signatures were collected by the website, wanting politicians to lower gas prices by exploring energy reserves American owned and from foreign countries which aren't "unstable" 2.

Lessons Learned

The lesson learned is that American citizens are willing to be engaged and active in politics if given the chance and opportunity. Wikis are just one form of new technology that enables the American citizenry to get involved in politics like never before. This technology gives the chance for an individuals opinion to be heard and actually implemented.