Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., 1963

DEMOCRACY LEFT
A COMMENT BOX.
WE'RE READING IT.

The law requires agencies to respond to substantive public comment. Almost no one files one that counts. We find the rule, translate it, and help you write something they can't ignore.

Civil Rights March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963 — National Archives, public domain
OPEN — Oil & Gas Leasing, 50 days left 2,000,000+ comments filed federally in 2024 — 0.2% of dockets captured 88.6% of them Citizen comments succeed at 1/4 the rate of private interests Behavioral Health Services Act — county board decides this fall OPEN — Oil & Gas Leasing, 50 days left 2,000,000+ comments filed federally in 2024 — 0.2% of dockets captured 88.6% of them Citizen comments succeed at 1/4 the rate of private interests Behavioral Health Services Act — county board decides this fall
A History of Showing Up

A COMMENT IS THE QUIETEST VERSION OF THIS.

Scene at the Signing of the Constitution, Howard Chandler Christy, 1940
1787
The Constitution Is Signed
Woman Suffrage Procession, Washington D.C., 1913
1913
The Suffrage March
March on Washington, 1963
1963
The March on Washington
§
50 days left

Oil and Gas Leasing

Rolls back 2024 bond levels on 32,758 federal leases.

§
Closing soon

Behavioral Health Services Act

Replaced CA's Mental Health Services Act.

§
New

Emissions Rule — EPA

Implements a clean-air statute Congress already passed.

§
Federal

Hazardous Waste Management

What it means for your local water supply.

Free · Citizen

FIND. UNDERSTAND.
INFLUENCE.

Seven questions match you to the exact rule — and section — you're positioned to speak on.

Start as a citizen →
Paid · Organization

CAMPAIGNS YOUR
MEMBERS FINISH.

An agent trained on ten years of rulemaking tells you who to mobilize and what argument works.

Bring your org →
88.6%
of comments captured by 0.2% of dockets
1/4
citizen success rate vs. private interests
2M+
comments filed federally in 2024 alone
10 YRS
of rulemaking data trains our agent
Our Mission

TURNING INDIVIDUAL VOICES
INTO REAL LEVERAGE
OVER THE RULES THAT
GOVERN THEIR LIVES.

Notice & comment is one of the only structurally protected channels ordinary citizens have to directly shape federal and state policy. Almost no one uses it — and almost no one uses it well. plainpolitics is a project of The Courtyards Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for government accountability.

About plainpolitics →
Est. Precedent, 1913
Woman Suffrage Procession, 1913
Library of Congress, public domain