Independent · Plain language · Action
About The Missing Seat
The Missing Seat finds what you weren't told: the decisions, laws, spending and rights that shape your life, explained plainly, with what you can do about it. It is an independent, people-centered editorial and civic-information platform: we report what institutions do, explain what it means for your rights, and connect you to ways to act.
The name comes from a simple picture. When decisions are made about people, someone is often not in the room. We try to put that person's question on the table, and then show readers a way to ask it themselves.
You don't have to love politics to care what happens to you. You don't need to be an expert. You need to care about what happens to you and the people around you.
We cover the United States and Germany.
Who runs it
The Missing Seat is an independent editorial and civic-information platform founded, funded and operated by Jansen Bowden, who grew up in Texas and lives in Germany. No outside organization finances its work, and Jansen is responsible for what it publishes.
Why I started it
I started The Missing Seat because too many decisions that shape people's lives are made without them, and too few people are ever told. I kept asking who is missing from the table, why they are missing, and who benefits from their absence.
Most people never see the laws, the spending and the rights that affect them most, and when they finally do, they ask why no one told them. The Missing Seat exists to close that gap: to find what you weren't told, explain it plainly, and show you what you can do about it. Awareness matters, but awareness without action changes nothing.
— Jansen Bowden
How we work
Every story has a Short Version and links to its sources, so you can check them yourself. Stories are fact-checked and edited before they are published. We use AI tools to help with research and drafting. If we get something wrong, we correct it on the story.
What we are not
The Missing Seat is not a law firm, a legal aid service or a political party. We explain rights and point to organizations that can help. We cannot give legal advice or represent you. A listing in our directory is not an endorsement of everything an organization does.
Take part
- Take Your Seat: find organizations, volunteer, join existing campaigns.
- Your Rights & Resources: what you may be entitled to, and the deadlines.
Ally = Action.