How to earn Political Capital
Political Capital is how StumpWatch recognises good contributors. It is a measure of verified, accepted work — not of opinions, popularity, or which side you favour. Everyone starts at zero and earns the same way: by adding sourced facts that survive review.
It is purely merit-based and non-partisan. The identical standard applies to contributions about every politician, party, and viewpoint.
Political Capital is a newer feature and still evolving — how it’s earned may be refined over time. Any capital you earn is always kept.
What earns capital
Points are awarded only when your contribution is accepted — never for a draft, an unsourced claim, or a rejected submission. A claim without a source stays a draft and earns nothing.
| Contribution | Capital |
|---|---|
| A sourced promise you submitted is accepted into the record | +25 |
| A correction you proposed is accepted after review | +15 |
| A dispute you opened is upheld by a moderator | +10 |
| A source you attach to a promise survives review | +5 |
| A media or evidence link you submitted is published | +4 |
| A sourced debate argument you posted is published | +2 |
| A comment you wrote is recognised as helpful | +1 |
| A contribution is reverted, or you act in bad faithThe one way capital goes down — submitting in good faith is never penalised, even if an edit isn’t accepted. | -8 |
Trust tiers — display badges
As your capital grows (and your account ages a little), your tier badge advances. Tiers are a display of your engagement history — they appear on your profile as recognition, not as an access level. Contributor capabilities (such as having contributions publish immediately) are granted by the StumpWatch team when they approve your account.
Verify your email and agree to the Contributor Terms to start earning Political Capital.
You have an established contribution history. This badge shows on your profile.
A track record of accepted, sourced contributions. Shown as a badge on your profile.
Review authority over contributions — granted directly by the StumpWatch team.
To get your contributions published without a review delay, contact the StumpWatch team using the contact form. The team reviews accounts and promotes contributors based on their record.
Achievement badges
Badges are recognition for milestones along the way. They appear on your profile automatically as you earn them. One in particular — Across the Aisle — rewards holding every side to the same standard.
First Source
Added your first verifiable source — the foundation of every record.
Fact-Checker
Had 5 or more corrections accepted after review.
Promise Tracker
Documented 10 or more sourced promises.
Across the Aisle
Contributed accepted work on both a Republican- and a Democrat-affiliated official — holding every side to the same standard.
Centurion
Earned 100 Political Capital through accepted contributions.
Reviewer
Granted review authority by the StumpWatch team.
Early Backer
One of the first 100 donors to support StumpWatch.
Early Contributor
One of the first 100 people to create a StumpWatch account.
Pioneer
Donated $100 or more in total to StumpWatch.
Advocate
Donated $500 or more in total.
Patron
Donated $1,000 or more in total.
Champion
Donated $5,000 or more in total.
Recognition
Capital and badges show on your profile. If you’d like, you can also appear on the public contributor leaderboard — an opt-in list of top contributors ranked purely by merit. It’s off by default; turn it on any time from your account.
Ready to start? Learn how to contribute — add a sourced promise, propose a correction, or submit evidence, and your capital grows with every accepted contribution.