Blog
Unlocking lobbying data in Massachusetts
Legislata is based on the belief that information in public policy should be more accessible and usable. One area where this is about as true as it gets is lobbying in Massachusetts. Every lobbyist is required to file extensive disclosure forms twice a year, but those forms are buried on thousands of individual webpages, making it hard to put together a picture of the industry in the Commonwealth.
We have collected that data and made some of the most relevant statistics freely accessible here, including how much each lobbyist donated to candidates, how much each candidate received, each individual contribution, each individual lobbying activity, client spending in 2023 and the first half of 2024, and the top 50 lobbyists by earnings in 2023 and the first half of 2024.
Can we still forecast the Presidential race with all this uncertainty?
If 2024 is truly exceptional at the presidential level, does that mean it’s an exception that our forecasting models can’t handle?
Unravelling Congressional Threads
As political Twitter declines, other competitor apps have emerged. We have seen elected officials posting on LinkedIn, analysts moving to private Discord servers, and TikTok influencers brought to the White House. However, in terms of replicating what used to be offered by Twitter, the best option may be Meta’s Threads (built on top of Instagram), which currently comes closest to the scope, depth and userbase that Twitter had.
Average Donor Share - a new political statistic
Who gets more of their donors’ contributions? We dive into 1.7 million contributions in Massachusetts as we create a new political statistic.
The real parties in Massachusetts politics - according to donors
We mapped out networks of political candidates based on 1.7 million donations. Here are how donors see the factions of #mapoli.
Introducing our Massachusetts Hearing Transcripts service
We’re now automatically transcribing committee hearings from the Massachusetts State House. Free for .gov and .edu accounts, $10 / month otherwise.
How to use our Deals tracker bot to stay visible on your pipeline value
Do you always find it challenging to keep up with all your outstanding deals and don’t want to buy separate software for it? With our dealtracker bot it’s as simple as writing a note and we track the value of the pipeline for you.
How to use our Constituent Case bot to keep track of your open cases
Here is how you can use one of the first bots, the Constituent Case bot, to keep track of your open constituent cases and see at a glance what’s happening in your community.
Simulating an alternative 2024 presidential race
Legislata offers scenario strategy workshops to help organizations test and develop strategies for what might happen in various situations. This helps organizations be prepared for when something unexpected happens and you and/or your competitors are scrambling to react.
We recently ran an exercise of the 2024 presidential primaries without Biden or Trump as frontrunner as a demonstration of this technique as well as a chance to generate interesting findings about American politics.
How to use CrossPostBillBot to create your personal legislative tracker
The philosophy behind Legislata is that, when it comes to working in policy, there is no one size that fits all, even within the same organization.
As part of this approach, we’re building bots. These are mini-apps that can do a specific function for you within Legislata without requiring you to upgrade the overall tier of your workspace. They’re simple to add - all you need to do is add the right topic tag and the system will do the rest for you.
Here is how you can use one of the first bots, the CrossPostBillBot, to create a customized legislative tracker for you, your coalition, or your clients.
Who does the California State Legislature follow on Twitter?
From New York to North Carolina, we’ve explored some of the most-followed Twitter accounts by local elected officials. Now, we’re heading west, to California. Let’s take a look at who the California State Legislature is following on Twitter.
Who do Pennsylvania state politicians follow on Twitter?
Recently, we took a look at who Michigan legislators follow on Twitter to give you an idea of the voices that the state’s elected officials take an interest in, as the latest in our series on researching the Twitter ecosystems of states. Now it’s time for Pennsylvania.
Who do Michigan state politicians follow on Twitter?
Recently, we took a look at who Delaware legislators follow on Twitter to give you an idea of the voices that the First State’s elected officials take an interest in, as the latest in our series on researching the Twitter ecosystems of states. Now it’s time for Michigan.
Who do Delaware state politicians follow on Twitter?
Recently, we took a look at who New Jersey legislators follow on Twitter to give you an idea of the voices that the Garden State’s elected officials take an interest in, as the latest in our series on researching the Twitter ecosystems of states. Now it’s time for Delaware.
Scenario planning for political campaigns
Scenario planning can help make the unknown future a little better understood. Here is a quick overview to tell you why stories are a great way of conducting analysis.
Five reasons to use a Matrix Game to see around the political corner
Matrix games can help even the most expert teams gain additional insights into what might happen next. Here are five reasons to consider taking a morning to run one.
How do Democrats and Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly differ in their Twitter follows?
Here’s a deep dive into who the North Carolina General Assembly follows on Twitter, broken down by party.
Who does the New Jersey State Legislature follow on Twitter?
Recently, we took a look at who New Jersey legislators follow on Twitter to give you an idea of the voices that the Garden State’s elected officials take an interest in, as the latest in our series on researching the Twitter ecosystems of states.
2024 Presidential Candidate signup review
We're covering the 2024 Presidential Race, with automatic updates of press releases, tweets, and other information on the candidates.
As part of the process, we've signed up for updates from all the major candidates. Here's the initial thoughts from someone who has worked in both politics and tech.
Who does the North Carolina General Assembly follow on Twitter?
We’ve looked at who New York legislators follow on Twitter, to get a sense of whose voices the Empire State’s elected officials are most likely to see when they open the app. In this post, we’re going to head down to North Carolina to do the same for members of the General Assembly.