Civics Playbooks (Core + Adapters)

Civics | overview | Updated 2026-03-01

Civics Playbooks (Core + Adapters)

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

Goal: high coverage without 100 playbooks.

We do that with two layers:

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

If you only ever use two things, use:

One-Ask Engine
Information Hygiene

Folder map

Core playbooks

Level adapters

Templates

Rule: don’t duplicate playbooks across levels.
Put level-specific details in the adapters.

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 upset and stuck in the feed: 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

Definition of done (every playbook session)

If a session ends without these four things, you probably did research, not civics:

One Ask: rule + owner + metric + deadline
One Channel: email, meeting testimony, docket comment, oversight office, or office hours
One Follow-up date: on the calendar
One Log entry: what you did, what happened, next step

Use the One Ask template and Civics log by default.

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.

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.

03) Voting Plan (Personal + Household)

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

04) Relational Canvassing (friend network, low-pressure)

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

05) GOTV Micro-Team (3-8 people)

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

06) Public Meeting (show up + be effective)

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

07) Public Comment + Rulemaking

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

08) Accountability (Watchdog Lite)

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

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.

10) Donations with Discipline

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

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.

12) Information Hygiene (protect shared reality)

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

13) Office Hours Playbook (quiet leverage)

Use when: you want influence without a podium fight.
Includes: 15-minute meeting ask, staff follow-up, and a simple target map.

14) Budget Season Playbook (follow the money)

Use when: you want the real decision window instead of reacting after the fact.
Includes: budget calendar, line-item ask, target map, and testimony pack.

15) Procurement and Contract Guardrails

Use when: the real leverage is in vendor terms, renewals, or performance metrics.
Includes: contract clauses, audit rights, reporting asks, and renewal timing.

16) Complaint to Case File

Use when: “this keeps happening” needs to become something documented and actionable.
Includes: case-file structure, pattern test, and next-step rules.

17) Nonprofit and Org Leverage

Use when: you want to plug into an existing org without drifting into loose sentiment or low-accountability work.
Includes: role selection, workstream commitment, and minimum-agreement framing.

18) Safety and De-Escalation

Use when: the situation is hot and rumor, duplication, or doxxing can make it worse.
Includes: role separation, rumor labels, privacy basics, and de-escalation rules.

What stronger asks sound like

A good civic ask is boring in the best way. It names:

the rule
the owner
the metric
the deadline

The newer big-cost case studies sharpened a few recurring ask types:

Price legibility: all-in price, standard fee labels, plain-language notices
Throughput state: dashboards, deadlines, simple forms, faster review that people can actually feel
Fair terms: cure periods, refund rules, itemized estimates, appeal rights
Real access: wraparound care, repair choice, non-car job access, infant slots, by-right small infill

A few concrete examples

Instead of:

“Make housing affordable”

Use:

“Require all-in move-in cost disclosure before any application fee is paid, and publish compliance data by quarter.”

Instead of:

“Fix childcare”

Use:

“Publish childcare licensing timelines monthly and create an infant-slot support fund with a public slot count by county.”

Instead of:

“Healthcare is too complicated”

Use:

“Publish prior-authorization turnaround times by major payer and require plain-language denial reasons.”

Instead of:

“Transportation is broken”

Use:

“Require all-in vehicle pricing and clear opt-in for add-ons, with complaint tracking by quarter.”

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:

State adapter (rules + money layer)

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

You’ll usually need:

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)

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
“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 making you cruel or reactive

Scoreboard questions (the boring test)

Ask these after any playbook sprint:

Did I name the owner?
Did I make the ask in a real channel?
Did I ask for a metric and timeline?
Do I know the next decision date?
Did I log the result and set the follow-up?

Your weekly default (the steady thing)

Pick one and log it:

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

Use the weekly checklist if you want a default rhythm.

Maintenance cadence (small and durable)

Keep templates short and copy-pasteable.
Retire duplicate content by moving it to adapters or archive.
Review one core playbook per month for clarity and relevance.
Check overview links and template references when files move or new playbooks get added.

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