The Science Behind SEED — How Choice Architecture Can Depolarize Politics

Polarization isn’t just an abstract political problem — it’s the air we breathe. Online platforms designed for engagement have rewired our information environment to reward outrage over understanding. Traditional fixes — fact-checking, more exposure, better media diets — often backfire.

We wanted to understand: Is there a better way to design political information so it cools discourse instead of inflaming it?

What We Found

Behavioral science gave us the answer. The way people encounter information — the choice architecture — shapes how they think about it.

• When voters look at one candidate at a time, emotions and identity dominate.

• When voters compare candidates side-by-side, deliberation kicks in.

Decades of deliberative polling research shows this simple shift leads to more thoughtful, moderate, and fact-based decision-making.

How It Informs SEED

SEED is built on this insight. Every feature of our product is designed to activate deliberation and reduce polarization:

• Side-by-side comparisons make thoughtful evaluation the default.

• Plain-language summaries make complex issues accessible.

• Direct citations build trust and transparency.

By structuring political choice differently, SEED helps voters think more clearly, not more tribally.

Why It Matters for You

For voters: It means less time lost in the noise, more confidence in your decision.
For campaigns: It means being judged on ideas and clarity, not performance and outrage.
For democracy: It means scaling deliberation in a digital age where the algorithm economy has done the opposite.

Read the Paper

If you want to dive deeper into the science that shaped SEED, download our white paper:

👉 Digital Deliberation: Leveraging Choice Architecture to Depolarize Political Decision-Making [Download Link]