Topix Blog

October 5, 2010

The shocking results of localizing national issues

by tolles at 11:17 AM

Have you ever tried to find a local overlay to national sentiment around something? We’ve been trying to get a handle on what people think about national issues on a local level for a long time. And, with our Debate Maps, we’ve now created a way to harness the power of our localized audiences to deliver just that – data visualization of what the people in your town, and every town across the US, think about national issues such as Gay Marriage, Gun Control, Immigration or Health Care.

After 300,000+ comments and several million pageviews, the results were amazing - including the overwhelming support across the nation for the legalization of marijuana, backed up with cogent public policy arguments. However, even in the midst of the BP oil spill crisis, worries about the current economic climate outweighed environmental concerns when we asked about continued offshore drilling. That question did not spark nearly as much debate as our poll about Gay Marriage, whose results, while geographically diverse, were surprisingly evenly split.

 
Check out what people are thinking, locally, about these national issues:

 

What people in Altus, OK are saying:

This is no longer the wild wild west, where one hunted for food. Yes, I do support a ban on handguns. — Just Another Okie

The second amendment is about the preservation of liberty, not hunting. The people need the empowerment of arms, all sorts of the most powerful arms, now more than ever to preserve liberty. — Dagobert II

 
 
 
 

What people in Coeur d'Alene, ID are saying:

Are alcohol and pills my only choices for relaxation at the end of the day? It seems to me that weed is actually gentler on the body... — oneofmany

People are stupid enough as it is. Why make it worse? — Joetro

 
 
 
 

What people in Keavy, KY are saying:

It is an abomination in Gods eye. — Patrick

I believe that gays and lesbians should have the equal rights as heterosexuals do. Love is love. Can't stop the LOVE GOD has given you to give. — Keavy Man

 
 
 
 

What people in Thibodaux, LA are saying:

Untill we have public transport,buses, commuter trains, in rural areas we need gas to get to and from work, church, hospitals. I don't want to pay $10 per gallon. Let the states who don't want it off their shores pay. — Amanda<

It's quite self explanatory, I think. Without proper regulations, the cost of accidents to EVERYONE in this country is far far too high. — Angele

You can see all of our Debate Maps and represent your town's opinion here.