BetaMethodology v0.1
How YouBase works
YouBase is a platform for voter understanding and participation. This page explains how we collect and present data, what it means, and — just as importantly — what it does not mean.
Where the data comes from
- Parliamentary data — bills, votes, MP records, division results — comes directly from the UK Parliament Public API. It is updated every 30 minutes.
- Plain-language bill summaries are drafted using AI and reviewed before publication. Every summary links back to the official Parliament source.
- Voter opinions are collected from registered YouBase users who vote on active bills. These are not derived from any polling company.
What YouBase opinion data is
- YouBase opinion tallies show how registered platform users have voted on each bill. They are a record of platform participation, not a scientific poll.
- National tallies include all registered users who have voted on a bill. Constituency tallies include only users who have confirmed their postcode.
- A minimum sample of 3 votes is required before constituency-level opinion is displayed. This is a low bar for prototype purposes and will be raised as the platform grows.
What YouBase opinion data is not
- YouBase data is not equivalent to a professionally conducted poll. Platform users are self-selected and may not represent the broader population.
- National or constituency splits should not be quoted as representative of public opinion without clearly noting that they reflect YouBase users only.
- The representation gap is a comparison between YouBase platform opinion and a recorded parliamentary vote. It does not measure whether an MP represents all constituents — only whether they voted in line with YouBase users in their area.
Verification tiers
- Observer: email sign-up only. Votes are counted but carry the lowest weight in weighted calculations.
- Verified voter: email + postcode confirmed. Enables constituency-level tallies and comparison with your MP.
- Further verification tiers (phone, photo ID) are planned for later stages of the platform.
- One account may cast one vote per bill. Votes can be changed while a bill is active.
The representation gap
- The representation gap measures the distance between the YouBase constituency opinion on a bill and the MP's recorded parliamentary vote.
- It is calculated as: |constituency support % − MP vote position %|. An MP voting Aye is treated as 100% in favour; voting No as 0%.
- Gap severity: 0–10% = Aligned, 10–25% = Marginal, 25–40% = Moderate, 40–60% = Significant, 60%+ = Severe.
- The gap is only shown when at least 3 YouBase users in the constituency have voted on that bill, and when the MP's division record is available from Parliament.
Known limitations
- Self-selection bias: users who choose to register and vote are not a random sample of the electorate.
- Low sample sizes: many constituency tallies will be very small in this early stage. Low-confidence results are labelled accordingly.
- Parliamentary data gaps: not all divisions are linked to bills, and committee votes are not yet tracked.
- AI summaries: bill summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors. Always check the official Parliament source before relying on any summary.