Football Fever Comes to Election Season with the "Builders Power Rankings," Sorting Politicians Who Cause Problems from Those Who Actually Solve Them

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Oct 08, 2024, 08:00 ET

New ranking of incumbent congressional representatives promises a weekly rundown of the top (and bottom) players in America's most popular full-contact sport: politics

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- One month from the 2024 US Congressional elections, Builders, a global movement to replace "us vs. them" with flexible thinking and constructive problem-solving, unveils its Builders Power Rankings, a weekly dashboard ranking incumbent elected officials like football stars. What helps politicians score points isn't how outlandish they behave or how often their names appear in the headlines; it's how effective they are at doing what the American people elected them to do: actually solve problems.

Builders Power Ranking scores are generated by AI-powered data analysis and machine learning, utilizing data provided by Polarization Research Lab, a non-profit, non-partisan initiative of Dartmouth, Stanford, and University of Pennsylvania, combined with the insights of a panel of cross-partisan analysts and commentators across a spectrum of politics and beliefs.

Unveiling a new "drop" weekly, with an emphasis on communications during the past 14 days, the ranking takes into account communications, like social media posts and press releases, along with historic legislative data, to name the top 10 Builders and the biggest Dividers in congress based primarily on a combination of the following metrics: policy discussion (positive), constructive debate (positive), personal attacks (negative), and legislative efficacy (positive), with more value awarded for legislation passed with a winning coalition.

Panelists, including Andrew Yang, Aaron Parnas, Benji Backer, Heather Nauert, Jessica Yellin, Kara Swisher, Karl Rove, Malynda Hale, Garry Kasparov, Joe Lonsdale, and Kimberly Atkins Stohr, bring to the table a broad range of views on issues, policy, and the role of government itself. Their insights and commentary supplement the data to help audiences evaluate politician's words and actions with greater nuance. The overall Builders rankings award an equal number of spots to Republicans and Democrats, making the tool "partisan agnostic."

Says Builders Movement Co-Founder, Daniel Lubetzky, "Just like football power rankings, the Builders Power Rankings are meant to be both defensible and debatable. We want to help Americans think more critically about how elected officials do or do not exemplify the flexible thinking, civil discourse, and constructive problem-solving skills essential to uniting our country and advancing the will of the people."

Says Andrew Yang, founder of The Forward Party, "Considering our elective representatives based solely on their partisan affiliations can blind us to how well those officials are actually serving us. I hope the Builders Power Rankings get more people thinking about how representatives contribute to either division or progress."

In today's hyper-partisan political climate in which bipartisanship has declined dramatically, leading less legislation to get passed, in which influence is often measured by how extremely an elected official behaves, Builders created the Builders Power Rankings to bring attention to the words and behavior that lead to problem-solving not division. With hate speech on the rise, the rankings help voters understand which politicians are using dehumanizing rhetoric, a proven precursor to violence, which most Americans want to avoid.

Citizens who want to take informed, constructive action this election season, can share the scoreboard and debate it (respectfully) with their friends and frenemies at www.buildersranking.com.

About the Builders Movement
Builders is a global movement to overcome toxic polarization to solve our toughest problems together. Founded by over 200 cross-industry leaders, Builders works to equip people with the skills, tools, and network to think flexibly, forge constructive solutions, and propel the will of the people. Learn more at www.buildersmovement.org.

SOURCE Builders Network