To paraphrase this week's class section subtitle, today I hope to explore the potential of new technologies to strengthen America's democracy, government transparency and accountability.
There seems to be a growing body of evidence to suggest that citizen participation and knowledge of government programs (essential for a participatory citizenry) is growing, and technologies like the Internet and mobile phones have improved true transparency and accountability. President Obama's noble pledge in the Open Government Directive on his first day in office defines the transparency, participation and collaboration of and with government as the cornerstone principles of an open government. Through promoting accountability by providing more information, allowing citizens to have a larger eVoice in the process of government, and encouraging partnerships across the levels of government and with private institutions, the President is making good on his word.
Our new friend Aaron Smith from PEW compiled two studies from last year that help to support the idea that participatory democracy is enabled and enhanced through new technologies. Compared with the 64% of the general population who reported voting in the 2010 elections, 71% of mobile phone owners did so (Politics Goes Mobile 2010). While the data itself (as opposed to self-reporting by citizens) suggests that the overall population turnout was closer to 40%, it is unclear whether mobile phone owners are simply more adept or inclined to lie to pollsters or whether they did actually vote more, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Access to government information and program activities is a bit less controversial to chart, and increasing public knowledge should ideally lead to greater political involvement, including voting.
As such, Smith reveals that 82% of Internet users (representing 61% of all American adults) looked for information or completed a transaction on a government website in the twelve months preceding the next PEW survey (Government online 2010). While this is certainly encouraging in and of itself, Americans are not simply using the Internet to process bureaucratic forms or pay taxes but are also tuning in on specific policies and legislation. For example, 48% of Americans have looked for information on a particular public policy or issue online, and 46% have looked up what services a given government agency provides to the public (Ibid.). While all of this increased knowledge and access to policy goals and agency benefits is a sure victory for informing, educating, and inspiring citizens, what is most impressive is that according to the survey Americans generally accomplish most or all of what they want to do on government sites.
On a participatory level, new technologies have enabled everyday citizens to have another life-line to their elected officials, whether through electronic mail or SMS and social media communication with officials, candidates, or political campaigns. Additionally, Americans are not ceasing their activities after simply gaining more information on government activities - increasingly they are voicing their opinions on what they've learned. Of Internet users, 23% participate in the online debate about government policies and issues, and much of of this discussion occurs outside the official and traditional government channels (Government Online 2010). What Smith terms, "online government participators" are a growing and vocal group of Americans, and are going a long way to realizing Obama's goals of ensuring a seat at the electronic table for citizens to provide feedback on government's activity.
While it is not as easy to see the immediate effects of Obama's planned collaboration between federal, state and local governments as well as with private institutions and its direct impact on American citizens, Obama's stimulus bill is a prescient example of such interconnectedness. Whether a certain segment of the American people believe that this arguable expansion of "big government" into the lives of citizens is a positive or a negative (and I would argue the former over the latter), Smith makes clear that 40% of online Americans have sought out data on the business of government, and 23% have explored the government's use of the stimulus money in particular (Government online 2010). This increasing skepticism and inquiry into the expansion of government - especially at the state and local levels - is an important indicator that American citizens are getting involved in the business of government at the source and the periphery and ultimately ensuring a more informed and impassioned voting populace.
While the Obama administration - and subsequent ones - certainly have a long way to go towards reaping the benefits of a technologically connected and collaborating American public, the Open Government Directive has been a good start. As government makes itself more transparent and contactable, citizens' interest and participation will only continue to increase, and as Smith and PEW make clear, this trend is on the rise election cycle to election cycle. With more Americans online than ever before - and many getting in touch with government via social media and SMS as well - we are becoming a more knowledgeable, engaged, and ultimately effective democracy.
When more voices are heard and responded to, a truly representative government can result and as long as Washington remains open to criticism and suggestion, this government can realize the goals that Lincoln so eloquently expressed at Gettysburg in 1863, one "of the people, by the people, for the people..."
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