Chris Evans just announced his latest project, and it isn't an acting gig. The Avengers star launched his new civil engagement website, A Starting Point [1], on July 14 to help Americans learn about political issues and policies in the form of short, digestible videos. Chris worked on the site for two years, along with the site's cofounders, actor and filmmaker Mark Kassen and technology entrepreneur Joe Kiani.
In a Twitter video introducing the platform, Chris said he hopes the unbiased content will create "a little more connectivity between elected officials and their constituents" and "demystify some issues that [he] thinks some people may find daunting." The goal is for voters to understand the political issues that matter to them, and to make sure their voices are heard in the upcoming election and those to follow. Keep reading to find out what A Starting Point is exactly, and how you can use it to help inform your political decisions.
Today's the day!!!! After two years of work I'm SO excited to finally launch ASP! 😬🤮
Our panel w @FastCompany [2] goes up in a couple hours. Hopefully we answer any questions you might have! @MarkKassen [3] @JoeKiani [4] @MiaCharity [5] @ASP [6] #AStartingPoint [7] pic.twitter.com/NFnPFC5UgI [8]— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) July 14, 2020 [9]
What Is A Starting Point?
A Starting Point provides answers to questions regarding political issues from elected officials themselves. For every question you might have, the site presents answers from multiple elected officials — both from Democratic and Republican parties — in order to give you a wholistic view of the issue at hand.
The idea was born out of Chris's frustration after trying to Google an issue he didn't understand while watching the news. When the actor went to search his question, he was inundated with a "mountain of information," which he explained in the site's "Welcome" video. He thought, "What if there was a way that I could get not only concise answers to common questions, but get the answers from the elected officials themselves?"
How Does It Work?
The website is divided into three sections. The first section, A Starting Point, features short answers to commonly asked questions, which are categorized into larger buckets like economy, education, and health. For every question, there are responses from three Democratic and Republican officials, and each contributor can attach links for you to learn more about the issue. The second section, Daily Points, is an open forum where elected officials can post 60-second videos on any topic of their choosing. These representatives can use this space to speak on issues specific to their districts. Lastly, Counterpoints spotlights discussions surrounding specific questions between two members from opposing parties. These videos from elected officials are also 60 seconds long and address relevant issues that they'd like to explore. The idea was that instead of packing various issues into one large debate, representatives can tackle questions on an individual, focused level.
How Can It Help Us?
A Starting Point provides the resources for Americans to make informed voting decisions [11], and ultimately, build a government that reflects what we personally believe in. People who might be intimidated by the flood of news or are simply interested in becoming more engaged in politics can navigate the site to stay informed ahead of the 2020 election.
"Given everything that's going on in the world, more engagement in politics is always a good thing," Chris said in an interview with People [12]. "It will only help government work better for us, and better represent who we really are."