Ima is part of a Builders project called Citizen Solutions™. Citizen Solutions gives citizens an opportunity to develop and help pass common ground policy solutions. We piloted this project in Tennessee and Wisconsin and learned a lot. Now, after hearing from Texans across the political aisle that they are eager to have a voice in policymaking, we’re bringing it to the Lone Star State.

Builders is a cross-partisan movement to overcome “us vs. them” thinking and solve problems. We equip people to uncover hidden common ground and build on it – with lasting solutions that reflect the will of the people. Learn more at buildersmovement.org.

We believe that AI can boost civic engagement and make it easier for more people to participate in policymaking – no trip to the Capitol required. More than 30 million people live in Texas – we set out to make sure every voice counts, not just the loudest ones. AI also enables us to quickly sort and summarize what people say so that we can spot themes. We know technology can’t replace human interaction, which is why we’re also planning a solution session, during which a broadly representative group of Texans will gather in person to create healthcare policy recommendations.

There is a lot of hidden common ground on healthcare and, given how much it affects people’s everyday lives, it is ripe for citizen-led problem solving. Healthcare is also a top priority for Texans across the political spectrum. A Texas 2036 report found that 82% of Texas voters say they are more likely to vote for a candidate in support of reducing healthcare prices and 76% for one simplifying healthcare navigation. Yet Texas’ healthcare system ranks last in the nation and, according to Cicero Institute, among the bottom ten for access to primary care and physicians. We look forward to hearing Texans’ ideas on how to address these challenges.

The goal is to turn large-scale public input into actionable policy solutions. We will use a secure, AI-powered system to categorize all of the input – including yours – and identify themes. This analysis, along with the ideas coming out of the December in-person solution session, will help inform a final set of policy proposals for state lawmakers to consider. 

Please email ima@buildersmovement.org.

To learn more about this project, view the Terms of Participation and Privacy Policy.