“Connected Democracy”
According to an article on TechPresident, “Who will be America’s First TechPresident?” it is important that President-elect Barack Obama commits to “building a Connected Democracy where it becomes commonplace for local as well as national government proceedings to be heard by anyone anytime and over time.”
The article says that this would theoretically enable citizens to “read proposed bills before they are voted on, analyze them together, and contact their legislators and participate in the legislative process while it is happening.” This would essentially allow the citizens to hold their legislators accountable. According to CNN, “technology is revolutionizing democracy.” As Obama proved during the last election, the interactive nature of the Internet has proven to be an effective mobilizing force.
According to a Gallup Poll in September 2008, American’s trust in government is low.
In fact, it is well known that President Bush has very low approval ratings. But the Gallup Poll, conducted from Sept. 8-11, found that 31 percent approve of President Bush, but only 18 percent approve of Congress. Reuters also reported on Sept. 19 record low approval ratings for President Bush and Congress.
The “Connected Democracy” initiative would not only bring the government back to the the citizens, but citizens would probably become more trusting of their government. A “Connected Democracy” would allow government and the people to work together to improve our country. If the people are always aware of what is going on within the legislature, they can work to shape the government according to their needs and principles. With increased government and citizen interaction, government officials and citizens can better understand each other and work together.
A “Connected Democracy” would not be difficult to obtain. The federal government and each state should have an easily navigable, interactive website that contains information about policy initiatives. Not only would this information be readily available, but it should be written in a clear, concise manner to allow the average person to understand and analyze the information. Furthermore, proceedings should be taped and shown as videos on state websites, so that people can watch the proceedings at their convenience. Here is a list of current United States government websites and their links.
With a policy of openness and cooperation, the government could embrace the Internet as a vehicle for enhanced communication and effective leadership, and citizens could become more actively involved in their governance.
