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Marci Harris

@marcidale.bsky.social
445 followers 1.8K following 285 posts

POPVOX Inc / POPVOX Foundation cofounder; JD/LLM; former congress staffer; past fellowships at HKS Ash Center, New America; taught poli sci / public policy at SJSU, USF

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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
It's definitely just a prototype, but it shows what would be possible at scale if Congress were to adopt something like the new rules-as-code schema Full post here: open.substack.com/pub/marcidal... Feedback appreciated!
open.substack.com
What if every new law came with a to-do list?
A prototype for turning legislative text into implementation, oversight, and public understanding
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
But... on the long list of things that GenAI makes MUCH easier, this is one! So this morning I vibe coded up a dashboard for the new 21st Century ROAD to Housing bill w/ views for Congress, agencies AND the public Check it out: hr6644.on-forge.com/index.html
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
THAT?? 🤯 Turns out for many in the exec branch a new law meant ctrl+F-ing through the bill text to see if you are mentioned... (and sometimes missing an obligation until Congress asks for the deliverable!) 😱
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Not too long ago at a dinner w/ exec & leg branch folks, the host went around the table & everyone shared an idea of some tool or process fix that they would like to see... One guy suggested that every new law should have a list of what each agency was supposed to do. (!!!???)
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Now I can just play with it in Claude or codex until it superficially works like I want it to (& he can take care of making sure it actually works under the hood). It’s a whole new world for non-tech / tech adjacent people!
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
For example, our CTO is *wonderful* & SO GReAT to work with… but before AI coding agents, I still had to translate vision to words, then he had to understand it, deploy his interpretation of that vision, & then we iterated & refined through words
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Ah! I started answering upstream before your thread was done. But yes, I agree. + previously likely related to silos/barriers to entry but those are disappearing
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
But IMO the whole concept of website or apps as delivery vector is not long for this world. Am expecting much more voice / chat interfaces, and in a few years, who knows!?
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Interesting! Yes I could see that. Also: open source has been the provenance of coders (for obvious reasons) & few who excel there are also great on the design / UX side. But AI potentially changes that: coding agents let designers code; new design tools may make better UX more accessible to coders…
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Some thoughts from Oslo on what World Cup controversies can teach us about the questions ahead for AI in law & government open.substack.com/pub/marcidal...
open.substack.com
What World Cup Controversies Teach Us About AI and Law
From the "Hand of God" to VAR & microchip "heartbeats," ref calls still break hearts. Some of the same questions arise when it comes to technology in law & policy.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
IMO that’s a wonderful role for a network of trusted, experienced civic tech organizations (that hold each other accountable) to step up… Would be a fun discussion/project for the next TicTec!
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
But after that I hope we will see civic “agents” that help people very directly, by knowing their needs and interests & helping to answer questions, suggest actions, & make public participation easier… so who builds THAT?
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
So what *will* it be? - at first probably chatbots, yes Google summarizing content (hopefully accurately, but that requires good/accurate/accessible public data & we’re not 💯 there yet) open.substack.com/pub/marcidal...
open.substack.com
When Congress Hallucinates
Google says the House held a hearing on public access to legislative data last week. It didn't. But the AI didn't make it up.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
& maybe that’s the right foundation for welcoming new entrants, coordinating efforts, interfacing with policymakers & working together on the distribution issue. (Since the access point for members of the public (for both Gov & civic tech info) will probably not be websites or apps)
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Love this @alexparsons.bsky.social ! (Both the look-back & the provocation) write that some of the deep relationships and connections of the early days, when things were technically difficult, are some of the most valuable legacies of civic tech 1.0…
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Reposted by Marci Harris
Yale ISPS @ispsyale.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
It's time to reimagine democracy. Let's see what innovative political scientists, economists, sociologists, public servants, fiction writers, lawyers, journalists, futurists, computer scientists, and technologists have to say: bit.ly/3YVtP8O @hlandemore.bsky.social @kjephd.bsky.social
Tyna Elandou of OpenAI speaks at a podum in a conference room with stained glass windows and a high ceiling
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Reposted by Marci Harris
The GovLab @thegovlab.org · 08/09/2025
🚀 Join our Reboot Democracy Workshops this fall, an @innovateus.bsky.social series led by @bethnoveck.bsky.social, and Danielle Allen, @harvardash.bsky.social Real practitioners, real tools starts Sept 11! Learn more and register for workshops: rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/reboot2...
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Thanks @b-cavello.bsky.social !! 💪💫
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
Here’s an an example from our partners at “Talk to the City” showing how the input will be aggregated and presented talktothecity.org/report/heal-...
talktothecity.org
tttc-turbo
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
*Attention public servants leaving service* Departure Dialogues offers a meaningful way to pass along what you’ve learned about strengthening the programs you've spent years implementing, without the politics. Thank you for your service! 🫡popvox.org/departure
popvox.org
Departure Dialogues Project — POPVOX Foundation
Departure Dialogues captures insights from former federal employees to help Congress strengthen agency performance and close gaps between policy and practice.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Stop saying this! It is not the enlightened judo you think it is. Militarized policing of urban centers in red states is a briar patch that some would be very happy to be thrown into. JUST. STOP.
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Reposted by Marci Harris
David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
There’s a widespread myth that Americans hate traffic cameras. It’s simply not true. On the contrary, researchers have consistently found that Americans broadly support using automatic enforcement to curb crashes. And for good reason: It works. Me, in Bloomberg 🧵
bloomberg.com
Automated Traffic Enforcement Is More Popular Than You Think
Cameras that ticket drivers who run red lights and speed are effective and widely popular with city residents. So why are they banned in so many places?
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
I have had SO many questions about the Abundance™️ debates & at times felt aligned, at times opposed, confused, excited… and SO lost for a clear definition. This new piece from @niskanencenter.bsky.social’s Steve Teles on “Abundance Varieties” is SO clarifying! www.niskanencenter.org/abundance-va...
niskanencenter.org
Varieties of Abundance - Niskanen Center
We will know that abundance has succeeded when there is a proliferation of “abundances,” different governing projects attached to previously existing ideologies, interests, and parties.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
This was amazing
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
👀
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
Smart update for Login.gov! (& yes am speaking from personal experience as someone still having issues w/ new drivers license being mailed to correct address & having perfectly good passport for ID verification) www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
login.gov
The public’s one account for government. | Login.gov
Use one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Perfect: “I am not new here. I am not novel. I’m the cigarette you keep saying you’ll quit. I am not some sleek, futuristic glyph. I am the battered, coffee-stained backbone of writerly panic—the gasping pause where a thought should have ended but simply could not” www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the...
mcsweeneys.net
The Em Dash Responds to the AI Allegations
“In recent months, a curious fixation has emerged in corners of academia: the em dash. More specifically, the apparent moral panic around how it is...
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
More of this please! “After some delays, the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service will launch on Aug. 18, 2025, running twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile. This route will include stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula.”
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Good to know, actually: "Internal emails obtained by WIRED show a hasty process to onboard OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI providers to the federal government. xAI was on the list—until MechaHitler happened." www.wired.com/story/xai-gr...
wired.com
xAI Was About to Land a Major Government Contract. Then Grok Praised Hitler
Internal emails obtained by WIRED show a hasty process to onboard OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI providers to the federal government. xAI was on the list—until MechaHilter happened.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
With the exception of people like @schwarzenegger.bsky.social (who has shown great integrity in championing redistricting commissions in blue *and* red states), these often become "orphan reforms" with no sustaining champions
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
"This dynamic is not unique to redistricting. It applies to voting access, ethics rules, campaign finance laws, and more. When only some jurisdictions play by reformed rules, they risk ceding advantage to those who don’t."
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Shared some thoughts on the ratcheting up of redistricting rhetoric between Texas and California, which illustrates "The Reformer's Dilemma" (unilateral reform creates a strategic disadvantage for reformers) open.substack.com/pub/reconsti...
open.substack.com
The Fairness Trap: California’s Redistricting Commission and the Reformer’s Dilemma
California played fair in a game where everyone else played to win. Now it's rethinking whether it can afford to keep doing so.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
[Labour] “also pledged other changes to the electoral system, such as expanding forms of voter ID, moving towards automatic voter registration, and tightening rules on political donations to protect against foreign interference”
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Voting age lowered to 16 in the UK www.bbc.com/news/live/c9...
bbc.com
16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election as government says it will lower voting age in UK
Lowering the voting age across the UK means around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Voting age lowered to 16 in the UK www.bbc.com/news/live/c9...
bbc.com
16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election as government says it will lower voting age in UK
Lowering the voting age across the UK means around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
REALLY ominous crossing of a threshold here with Grok going even beyond passive bias to actually *asserting* a point of view and issuing calls to action
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
How does one get on this mailing list?
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
And THIS is a very good use for LLMs 👇
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
My very non-ag boyfriend when I ask if he knows what that machine is cutting the wheat: “I dunno.. a wheat Zamboni?” 😂😂😂
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Reposted by Marci Harris
POPVOX Foundation @popvoxfdn.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
“To be serious about reclaiming its constitutional role, Congress must start by rebuilding its own capacity.” - @marcidale.bsky.social thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
A year after Loper Bright, Congress has failed to step up
Rules on everything from firearm bump stocks to environmental permitting are being invalidated or reopened, but Congress has taken no meaningful steps to review or update those laws and is now acti…
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
On the 1-yr anniversary of SCOTUS overturning the Chevron doctrine, Congress has not only failed to step up, but is now slashing sources of nonpartisan expertise. The First Branch is sadly validating critics & failing the Loper Bright test. t.co/Es622hMHPP
t.co
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/5374349-a-year-after-loper-bright-congress-has-failed-to-step-up/
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
Spare a thought for the Senate clerks, parls, SAA staff, pages, & other nonpartisan staff spending their weekend in OBBB land 🫡
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Something something Loper Bright…
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
Found a new favorite follow bsky.app/profile/artb...
bsky.app
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Did someone already do the “Dr. Pep-per” joke yet?
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Reposted by Marci Harris
Nick Judin @nickjudin.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
One morning, sitting in an immigration office in Memphis, Kasper Eriksen found himself transformed. A day before, he was a welding foreman, a husband and father of four. Now, he was a detainee, bound and shackled in a detention shuttle in Tennessee. www.mississippifreepress.org/ice-arrests-...
mississippifreepress.org
ICE Arrests Mississippi Father at His Citizenship Hearing
ICE arrested Kasper Eriksen, a Mississippi father, at his citizenship hearing, imprisoning him and threatening him with deportation.
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Reposted by Marci Harris
Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
The solution here is that we need to treat governance as a critical job that demands physical stamina and presence. We need to normalize requiring the disclosure of health limitations from those who are responsible for national security, the economy, etc.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Yep. Which is why someone just needs to say it: [Some date — I'll throw out November 4 2025]: we talk about this. Doesn't matter who got sick/died the week before. This was pre-scheduled, obviously not personal, but a conversation has to happen.
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
I know now is not the time but FOLKS, can someone please schedule a neutral time in the near future to discuss the f$%$# gerontocracy?
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Marci Harris @marcidale.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
quality headline
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