← Back to Fun

Checks & Balances

This is a speculative project which imagines a (perhaps not-so-distant) future where political corruption is even more rampant and even more obvious than it is today. A lovely little app to crowdfund political influence.


Checks & Balances logo, with 'Balances' crossed out by a bar of stars, above the tagline 'Your vote matters.' on a light blue background

Meet Terry

Terry is a working-class American who is really worried about an upcoming bill called the CASH Act. He has written letters to his senator, but hasn't gotten any responses. Terry isn't sure if they made it to his senator, or that his voice is being heard.

Green halftone poster portrait of Terry, a working-class citizen

Meet Sen. McMonnell

Senator McMonnell is Terry's senator. He has been in politics for longer than anyone can remember, which of course means he is trustworthy and reliable. He has so many voices clamoring for his attention that he hasn't had a chance to read Terry's letters, and is unaware of his concerns about the CASH Act.

Yellow halftone poster portrait of Senator McMonnell

Get connected

Senator McMonnell, it's well known, is eager to listen to the will of his constituency — especially when they express their will through legal tender. So Terry downloads Checks & Balances.

Red halftone illustration of a hand holding up a phone with signal waves radiating outward

See Your Reps

Once registered, Terry can see a list of all of his representatives, can easily find his senator, and any upcoming votes.

Animated phone mockup of the Checks & Balances app opening from its splash screen to a list of representatives at every level of government, with the user's senator highlighted

See the Issues

From here, Terry can view every bill & issue Senator McMonnell is going to be voting on. He can also see how many votes each issue has, either for or against it.

Animated phone mockup listing a user's representatives at the federal level, including the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and their senators

Vote with your wallet

With instant transfers, Terry can vote in a matter of seconds! The more important an issue is, the more funds he can choose to vote with. Since the CASH Act will have a huge impact on him, he votes $150.00 towards yes.

Animated phone mockup of the C.A.S.H. Act voting screen, showing running Yes and No dollar totals, a Vote button, and a voting history list

See the progress

Terry can monitor the issues he's voted on, and can even see each vote as it comes in. This helps him stay informed, educated, and gives him the satisfaction of knowing he participated in our glorious democracy!

Animated phone mockup of the C.A.S.H. Act voting screen with the Yes total increasing in real time as new votes come in
Closing card reading 'Think all this is ridiculous? In the 2020 election cycle, 95% of the money donated to campaigns came from 1% of donors.'

Next project Birds Aren't Real →