Blaser, Weinberger, Trippi: Digital Government through Social Networks
Bill Blaser, David Weinberger, and Joe Trippi, "Digital Government through Social Networks: A Natural Alliance? (pdf)."
North Americans possess a "participatory surplus" that fuels open source software and presidential campaigns, energizing millions. Well-understood social networking services could provide a barackobama.com for the constituents of any
politician and to the stakeholders of any government agency or service. How might campaign web site experts design and host a network to govern governance?Software systems designed for campaigns cannot simply be ported over to governance. And the generic social software systems developed so far do not take account of the realities of governance sufficiently. If we are to take advantage of the new online, connected environment to empower voters, we will have to discern a new set of requirements and come up with software that works in the real world of governance.
Such a system woiuld have to recognize the real world motivations and mechanisms that pull the levers of government. Governmental representatives are moved not simply by pure argument or the honest expression of their constituents' preferences. Representatives also have career interests, which are part and parcel of having a functioning government. Any social system aimed at empowering constituents must take these realities into account. One important factor: Governance is regional. A social network for governance will very likely have to reflect the way in which geography binds constituents.
A virtual congressional district is the epitome of politician advice and consent, guiding a representative's policies as effectively as an airplane's "trim tab" governs its far more unwieldy rudder. We will provide a guideline for using 435 virtual districts to promote digital signature legislation.
