I don’t want to come over as some kind of sycophant but the White House just keeps on saying the right kinds of things at the moment, as far as I’m concerned. There probably are ways these things could be done even better or things they’re missing or wording that could be more radical or whatever but the fact is that this powerhouse of a democracy, which is currently reinvigorating itself and attracting the attention of the world for doing so, seems to be:
- intelligently aware of the benefits of online participation;
- genuinely committed to doing it right and calling in help from both experts and the public to understand what that looks like;
- serious and realistic about making it a real part of policy (not just a pipe dream, rhetorical device or flaky side project).
Have a read of the blog posts from the past couple of weeks (below) to catch up with the latest pronouncements. I just think that this kind of determination to act can only be good for getting more people doing this, doing it properly and doing it for the right reasons. Maybe I’m wrong, though, and have had my head turned by watching too much West Wing – what do you think, internet?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Enhancing-Online-Citizen-Participation-Through-Policy/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/New-Technologies-and-Participation/
http://blog.ostp.gov/2009/06/16/enhancing-online-citizen-participation-through-policy/
Hi!
A HighYes! That is what we have to realize. Adopt or die.
The next phase about staying alive with the political trust.
At least in the CEE region.
Need not to be blind, to imagine a different perspective – another Urope, where at least the EP has needed support, to change the rules over countries.
No questions, that participatory rules has to be changed, and adopted through technology.
The question is when, and how will our Uropean expert communtiy play the role of responsibility – and then the political players has at least something to think about.