Narrative-first, evidence-driven

Back to playbooks

This folder is the “small but complete” civics toolkit.

Goal: high coverage without 100 playbooks.

We do that with two layers:

1. Core playbooks (work at any level)
2. Level adapters (what changes at local/state/federal)

If you only ever use two things, use:

• One-Ask Engine
• Information Hygiene

The core model (why this exists)

Monthly squeeze → insecurity → manipulation/scapegoats → division → no fixes → more squeeze

Civics playbooks are how we interrupt that loop without losing ourselves.

How to use this (the “not overwhelmed” flow)

Step 1: Pick your lane (one is enough)

• Voting lane: turnout + candidates + participation
• Policy lane: meetings + comments + accountability
• Mutual aid lane: help people now + keep the community steady
• Info lane: shared reality + de-rage the feed

Step 2: Use the smallest useful playbook

• If you’re unsure: One-Ask Engine
• If you’re angry or doomscrolling: Information Hygiene
• If there’s a meeting coming: Public Meeting
• If it’s election season: GOTV Micro-Team or Relational Canvassing

Step 3: Add the right adapter

• Local / State / Federal (see below)

Core playbooks (the starter set)

These are intentionally repeatable. Same moves, different targets.

01) One-Ask Engine (default civic move)

Use when: you don’t know what to do, or you want clean leverage.
Output: one clear ask + one measurable outcome + one next step. Open playbook

02) Candidate Evaluation + Feedback

Use when: you’re choosing who to support, or giving candidates consistent feedback.
Includes: hard-fail guardrails, scorecard, short message template. Open playbook

03) Voting Plan (Personal + Household)

Use when: 60 days out (or whenever you realize you’re behind).
Includes: registration check, ballot plan, friction removal. Open playbook

04) Relational Canvassing (friend network, not weird)

Use when: you want persuasion without becoming a troll.
Includes: 3 questions, 2 stories, 1 ask. DM > comments. Open playbook

05) GOTV Micro-Team (3–8 people)

Use when: elections matter and you want real leverage.
Includes: roles, weekly rhythm, minimum viable turnout plan. Open playbook

06) Public Meeting (show up + be effective)

Use when: school board, city council, county, zoning, commissions.
Includes: agenda prep, 90-second testimony, follow-up. Open playbook

07) Public Comment + Rulemaking

Use when: agencies ask for input (local/state/federal).
Includes: comment template, harm → fix → measurable request. Open playbook

08) Accountability (Watchdog Lite)

Use when: you suspect dysfunction/capture and want real receipts.
Includes: meeting minutes, budgets, contracts, dashboards, escalation. Open playbook

09) Coalition Basics (work with imperfect allies)

Use when: you need allies and don’t want purity spirals.
Includes: shared goal/facts/rules, conflict rules, exit rules. Open playbook

10) Donations with Discipline

Use when: you donate and want impact, not vibes.
Includes: giving rubric, recurring vs one-time, budget guardrails. Open playbook

11) Mutual Aid + Rapid Response

Use when: people get hit now (raids, layoffs, eviction, disaster).
Includes: calm coordination, who-to-call tree, legality/safety guardrails. Open playbook

12) Information Hygiene (anti-rage-bait)

Use when: your feed is trying to hijack your brain.
Includes: verify steps, “share or don’t share” rules, correction scripts. Open playbook

Level adapters (what changes by level)

Adapters answer: who decides, when, and what actually moves.

Local adapter (highest leverage per minute)

Best for: housing supply, school climate, policing priorities, procurement/contracts, permitting, transit tweaks.

You’ll usually need:

• Public Meeting
• One-Ask Engine
• Accountability (Watchdog Lite)
• Open local adapter

State adapter (rules + money layer)

Best for: preemption, standards, funding formulas, licensing, state agencies.

You’ll usually need:

• Public Comment + Rulemaking
• Candidate Evaluation + Feedback
• One-Ask Engine
• Open state adapter

Federal adapter (big levers, slower feedback)

Best for: national standards, major budgets, civil rights enforcement, agency rulemaking, oversight.

You’ll usually need:

• Public Comment + Rulemaking
• Accountability (Watchdog Lite)
• Donations with Discipline (if you’re choosing leverage orgs)
• Open federal adapter

Quick chooser (when you have 2 minutes)

• “I’m overwhelmed.” → 01 One-Ask Engine
• “My feed is melting my brain.” → 12 Information Hygiene
• “There’s a meeting next week.” → 06 Public Meeting
• “Election is coming.” → 05 GOTV Micro-Team (or 04 Relational Canvassing)
• “There’s a comment period / proposed rule.” → 07 Public Comment + Rulemaking
• “Something smells off.” → 08 Accountability (Watchdog Lite)
• “I want to help now.” → 11 Mutual Aid + Rapid Response
• “I want to donate.” → 10 Donations with Discipline

Success criteria (so this stays real)

A playbook is “good” if it:

• produces one clear ask
• has a measurable outcome
• reduces the monthly squeeze or reduces manipulation/division
• can be repeated without turning you into a jerk

Your weekly default (the steady thing)

Pick one:

• One Ask (send it, log it, follow up once)
• One Meeting (attend or watch, take notes, follow up)
• One Micro-Team touch (nudge, plan, assign roles)
• One Hygiene reset (verify before sharing; calm correction if needed)

Maintenance cadence (small and durable)

1. Keep templates short and copy-pasteable.
2. Retire duplicate content by moving it to adapters or archive.
3. Review one core playbook per month for clarity and relevance.

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