Community Guidelines

Creating a respectful space for civic engagement

Welcome to Better Congress

Better Congress is a platform dedicated to fostering informed civic engagement and constructive political discourse. Our community guidelines ensure that all users can participate in meaningful discussions about legislation, elected officials, and the democratic process.

By using Better Congress, you agree to follow these guidelines and help maintain a respectful, informative environment for all users.

Core Principles

1

Respect All Viewpoints

Political discourse thrives on diverse perspectives. Engage with others respectfully, even when you disagree with their views.

2

Focus on Facts

Support your arguments with credible sources. Misinformation undermines productive political discussion.

3

Stay On Topic

Keep discussions relevant to the bill, member, or committee being discussed. Off-topic comments may be removed.

4

Protect Privacy

Do not share personal information about yourself or others. This includes addresses, phone numbers, and other identifying information.

Expected Behavior

  • ✓Engage in thoughtful, constructive discussions about policy and governance
  • ✓Ask questions to better understand different perspectives
  • ✓Cite credible sources when making factual claims
  • ✓Report content that violates these guidelines
  • ✓Acknowledge when you've made an error and correct it

Prohibited Behavior

  • ✗Personal attacks, harassment, or threats against any user or public figure
  • ✗Hate speech or discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics
  • ✗Spreading deliberate misinformation or conspiracy theories
  • ✗Spam, excessive self-promotion, or commercial solicitation
  • ✗Impersonating another user, elected official, or organization
  • ✗Encouraging or inciting violence or illegal activities

Content Moderation

Our moderation team works to ensure all content meets these guidelines. We use a combination of automated tools and human review to maintain community standards.

Moderation Actions

  • • Content removal for guideline violations
  • • Temporary suspension for repeated violations
  • • Permanent ban for severe or persistent violations
  • • Appeal process available for all moderation actions

Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behavior that violates these guidelines, please report it immediately using the report button on any comment, post, or profile.

When reporting, please provide:

  • • A clear description of the violation
  • • Links to the specific content
  • • Any relevant context or additional information

All reports are reviewed by our moderation team, typically within 24 hours.

Political Advertising & Campaigning

Better Congress is a platform for civic engagement, not political campaigning. While discussing candidates and their positions is encouraged, the following are prohibited:

  • • Direct campaign solicitations or fundraising
  • • Coordinated campaign activities or astroturfing
  • • Paid political advertisements without proper disclosure
  • • Mass messaging or spamming on behalf of campaigns

Updates to Guidelines

These community guidelines may be updated from time to time to address new situations or clarify existing rules. We will notify users of significant changes through our platform.

Last updated: January 2024

Questions about these guidelines? Contact us at community@bettercongress.org