mappp: A Digital Atlas for Politics, Processes and Participation
Political decision-making processes often seem complex and difficult to understand. mappp aims to change this. The Gestaltungszentrale Politik, an initiative at the intersection of design and politics, has developed the digital ‘Atlas for Politics, Processes and Participation’ in collaboration with Prof. Dr Sven T. Siefken of the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences (Hochschule des Bundes für öffentliche Verwaltung).
The Atlas illustrates the three phases of the legislative process: identifying problems during the agenda-setting phase, developing solutions during the specification phase, and negotiating compromises during the decision-making phase. Almost 300 interconnected text fields explain the actors involved, the procedures followed, and the opportunities for participation. Additionally, case studies illustrate the actual paths that legislation has taken. This enables users to see who is involved at each stage, in what capacity and where citizens can get involved themselves.
‘Here, we get a realistic picture of how politics is made, rather than just how it should be made,’ says Siefken. The development of mappp was informed by workshops and interviews at the German Bundestag, the Federal Chancellery, and various federal ministries. ‘The digital atlas offers an accessible, interactive introduction to political processes, rather than overwhelming readers with complexity,’ explains Philipp Cartier of Gestaltungszentrale Politik, highlighting the value of mappp.
This free tool is intended for a wide range of users. As well as professionals in politics and public administration, it can be used by legal professionals, journalists and educators. It can help to make public administration and political procedures more transparent, and introduce new staff to complex legislative processes. Age-appropriate supplementary materials are also available for use in school politics lessons.
