About Publius

Publius.org is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1996 to explore the impact of the Internet on democracy and develop web-based tools to enhance the exchange of ideas and information. Publius began by consolidating election-related web sites to make it easier for voters to find the election information they need.

In 1998, Publius developed an interactive web tool to allow residents to access their voter registration status and obtain candidate information. With the assistance of the Secretary of State's Bureau of Elections, Publius had created the world's first online ballot generator based on the voter registration information supplied by the state's Qualified Voter File.

Publius continues to evolve based on the principle of creating tools to make the time citizens interact with government as effective as possible. We pound the pavement, make calls, and ask lots of questions in order to consolidate all the information citizens need to vote, and then we create an intuitive system to access it.

One day, we may be directly interacting with elected officials through e-mail, chats, and online town hall meetings, but it won't happen overnight. Today we can use the Internet to create tools more effectively channel interaction with government, and allow government's interaction with us to evolve as more and more "wired" candidates get into office. Accordingly, we started the project where the government begins -- elections.

Publius has also identified the Digital Divide as a profound obstacle in using the Internet to facilitate access to government. We have been deeply involved with government and grassroots programs that are attempting to address this issue in our home city of Detroit, MI. The programs we have developed to address this issue can be found in greater detail in our Digital Bridge Program.

Publius continues to grow and pursue the idea that every educated citizen strengthens our democracy.

Contact
Vince Keenan

Why Publius?

"Publius" was a relatively common first name in Roman times, shared by the poets Ovid, and Virgil (who became more famous for their last names) and Hadrian, Emperor of the Romans 24-76 AD. The historical record is unclear as to which Publius was the first to earn the reputation as a champion for the people, but the association between "Publius" and statesmanship was widespread in the ancient world. It is not known whether the name was made famous by an individual or if it was an honorary name derived from the same root as "Public," bestowed upon an individual after he had already distinguished himself in public service.

The association of Publius with public service lived on (probably - because of - its resemblance to the Latin root of "public") and was referenced in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and Troilus and Cressida. Throughout history, the name Publius has continued to be associated with anything that may be within the public's best interest. Given its reputation the name Publius was often used as a pseudonym for authors of public statements who did not want their identity to cloud people's willingness to consider their ideas.

Publius also has a strong connection to the foundation of American representative democracy. Arguably the most famous Publius authors in history, (at least most important to US history) were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, who in 1787-88 published a series of 86 articles entitled "the Federalist." Collectively known as The Federalist Papers, Hamilton, Madison and Jay wrote in defense of the federal republic created by the new constitution. The goal of the Federalist was to convince New York to ratify the proposed United States Constitution drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, as a replacement for the less binding Articles of Confederation. All three authors were high-profile public figures who did not want personal relationships or feelings to spill over onto the arguments for adoption of the Constitution, so they tapped tradition and used Publius as a pen-name. Their efforts were successful, and New York joined the other states in becoming the United States of America. The Federalist Papers are considered some of the most elegant arguments for the establishment of our country. New York's ratification of the Constitution was considered the critical factor in the establishment of the constitutional republic in which we now live.

This Website taps into that same tradition. Inspired by the authors of The Federalist Papers, we present election information here without editorial bias, question or filters, allowing voters to be alone with the information from candidates who are trying to gain their support, and their own obligation to exercise their most fundamental right in our democracy--the right to vote.