FROM GERMAN WAHL-O-MAT
TO U.S. Policy Impact-O-Mat

I’m German, and since 2002 we’ve had a tool called the Wahl-O-Mat—a platform that helps users figure out which party’s election program aligns most closely with their views. We have many parties, and this tool offers orientation.

As the developers at the University Siegen describe it:

"At the end of the user’s session, the Wahl-O-Mat calculates the distances between the voter’s and the parties’ positions and displays the party with the smallest distance as the “result”, as the best fit. Additionally, the Wahl-O-Mat calculates the extent of agreement between the voter’s position and all parties by displaying the respective summed distances."

The technology has been used over 130 Million times since 2002. (More information).

During a meditation session on July 15, 2025, I posed myself the question whether it would be possible to create something similar for the U.S.—not to measure distance from a party platform, rather to reflect the personal risk that emerges from current policies. If such a system included demographic factors, it could help reveal how deeply someone might be affected.

The 2-part Questionnaire and Policy-Impact-O-Mat: 2025 Website were the outcome of this question. I spent approximately 120 hours programming, testing, learning, and designing.

No one paid me. I was not affiliated with any organization. This was entirely independent work.

My sole intention was to offer a tool that offers orientations and might help others gain clarity—especially in a time shaped by executive orders, shifting legal frameworks, and cascading systemic changes.

Your Personal Policy Assessment Results

Welcome to Your Results Portal

Thank you for taking the time to complete the Impact-O-Mat assessment. Your thoughtful responses help create a clearer picture of how current policy changes might affect your daily life, family, and future.

How to Access Your Results

Step 1: Locate Your Session ID
When you completed the survey, you received a unique session ID. This appears on your completion page and looks something like: X8J4P2FD or A23F8K9J

Step 2: Request Your Results
Enter your session ID in the form below, and we'll provide your personalized assessment summary.

Step 3: Understanding Your Results
Your results will appear as both a detailed breakdown and a visual spider chart showing your risk profile across all 8 policy domains. You'll find more information below.

Please have a bit of patience while your many results are calculated and retrieved.

What Your POLICY Results Mean

🧭 Impact Reflection Session
20 minutes · 3-4 spots per week · donate-what-you-can

If you’re unsure what to do with what you saw — this is where we sit with it, together.

UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT ON YOU

Read the Executive Summary Policy Impact-O-Mat

What the Numbers Mean

Your responses were converted to a standardized scoring system:

0 = Question skipped (not included in calculations)
1 = Agree with policy (typically lower personal risk)
2 = Neutral position (moderate potential impact)
3 = Disagree with policy (typically higher personal risk)

Why "Risk" Matters

This assessment doesn't judge your political views. Instead, it maps potential impact: if you disagree with a policy that becomes law, you're more likely to experience changes in your daily life, access to services, or personal circumstances.

The 8 Policy Domains

Your results cover these key areas:

Health & Health-Care Security - Insurance, medical access, public health programs
Income, Labor & Employment - Wages, workplace protections, job security
Civil & Human Rights / LGBTQ+ Safety - Anti-discrimination laws, identity protections
Reproductive & Family Autonomy - Healthcare access, family planning, parental rights
Immigration & Citizenship Exposure - Status protections, family separation risks
Economic & Tax Footprint - Personal taxes, financial assistance programs
Education & Student Debt - School funding, loan forgiveness, educational access
Climate, Energy & Environmental Safeguards - Environmental protections, energy costs

This IS a planning tool

Use these insights to:

Understand which policy areas might affect you most
Connect with relevant resources and communities
Stay informed about developments in your high-risk domains
Plan for potential changes in services, rights, or costs

Reading Your Spider Chart

What is a Spider Chart?

A spider chart (also called a radar chart) shows your scores across all 8 domains simultaneously. Think of it as a visual fingerprint of your policy risk profile.

How to Read It

Center (0): No risk or questions skipped
Inner Ring (1): Low risk - you tend to agree with current policy direction
Middle Ring (2): Moderate risk - you're neutral or mixed on policies
Outer Ring (3): High risk - you disagree with most policies in this area

What the Shape Tells You

Bulges outward: Areas where policies may significantly impact your life
Closer to center: Areas where you're more aligned with current policy direction
Irregular shapes: Normal! Everyone has different priorities and vulnerabilities

Double-Weighted Domains

If you selected certain domains as "double-weighted" (extra important to you), those areas count twice in your overall assessment. They'll be clearly marked on your results.

Sample Results Explanation

Your Personal Assessment

This is what your results might look like:

Overall Risk Score: 2.1/3.0

You show moderate-to-high potential impact from current policy changes.

Highest Risk Domains:

Civil & Human Rights (2.9/3.0) - Most policies in this area conflict with your values
Climate & Environment (2.8/3.0) - Environmental rollbacks may significantly affect you
Reproductive & Family (2.7/3.0) - Family planning restrictions pose considerable risk

Moderate Risk Domains:

Health & Healthcare (2.5/3.0) - Mixed impact from healthcare policy changes
Education & Student Debt (2.3/3.0) - Some education policies may affect you

Lower Risk Domains:

Income, Labor & Employment (1.8/3.0) - Relatively aligned with employment policies
Economic & Tax (1.5/3.0) - Tax changes may benefit you overall
Immigration & Citizenship (1.2/3.0) - Immigration policies pose minimal personal risk

This is NOT a political test

Your results don't determine your political identity or voting recommendations. They simply map potential personal impact from specific policy changes.

Your Privacy is Protected

No personal information is stored with your responses
Only you can access results with your session ID
All data is anonymized and coded for research purposes

Support This Work

Creating this assessment required extensive research, careful coding, and ongoing maintenance. If you found this tool helpful, insightful, or validating, please consider supporting its development.

Your donation helps:

Keep the tool free and accessible
Update policy tracking as laws change
Improve the assessment based on user feedback
Support research on policy impact and equity

Share This Tool

Found this assessment valuable? Help others understand their policy risk by sharing:

Share Link: Take the Impact-O-Mat Assessment

Every person who takes this assessment helps build a clearer picture of how policy changes affect real lives across different communities.

Questions or Feedback?

If you have questions about your results, suggestions for improvement, or want to share your experience, please reach out:

Email: jsiegmann@gmail.com

Thank you for participating in this important work of making policy impact visible and personal.

Licensing information

Technical Notes

Assessment Method: Based on Wahl-O-Mat civic engagement methodology
Data Collection: Tally form with Google Sheets backend and privacy protected backend processing through Google Apps Script.
Privacy: GDPR-compliant data handling, no personal information stored
Sources: All policy statements linked to official documents (Project 2025, Executive Orders, Congressional bills)
Updates: Policy database updated as new legislation is enacted

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FROM GERMAN WAHL-O-MAT TO U.S. Policy Impact-O-Mat