Output/input

This is my section for the government chapter so far.  To see sources, go to the annotated bibliography,

If indeed the American government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, public involvement in government must be ensured.   All US citizens need both to be well-informed and to participate.  In order to do this, US citizens must be able to easily and accurately learn about and comment on government procedures.  Government officials need to be able to share information and ask for input from the public, while the public shares ideas, comments, or complaints with the government.  The system of the United States government was formed with the idea that all men are created equal.  This means that all men and women should have a say in how the nation is run, both locally and at the Federal level.
           This is open government.  It means citizens have the right to have access to the governmental process, including documents and proceedings.  Furthermore, it means the citizens should be able to comment and participate in government processes with ease.  The Obama administration has been trying to increase openness with the public.  The White House’s official website is whitehouse.gov/open, and it has a blog on open government, and also a link where citizens can create and sign petitions.  There's also challenge.gov, which calls itself "the central platform for crowd sourcing US government challenges, contests, competitions and open innovation prizes."  Basically, government agencies can ask for submissions/solutions to challenges/problems and the public can give their ideas.  Unfortunately, very few people actually use the site.

This is a general problem.  Although government officials are taking steps towards openness, the public is not participating.  So, if the American system is a government of the people, by the people, for the people, it must provide a way get the word out and help everyone in the nation get in on the online conversation.

There are several examples throughout history of leaders who tried to increase awareness about Federal procedures.  First are Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats.  These actually started when Roosevelt was governor of New York, and he often used them to ask for help to get his proposed measures passed.  The public then wrote letters to the state legislature in support of these measures.  As President, he gave regular addresses over the radio to reassure the public during the Great Depression and WWII, thereby increasing the federal output of information and reaching a wide audience.  Since then there has been a regular address by the President.  President Obama has moved from a weekly radio broadcast to an audio and video form available online on YouTube and whitehouse.gov.

Although these weekly reports do not reach the entire nation, President Obama's hangouts on Google+ and YouTube videos interface with modern culture.  FDR used the radio, which was popular in his day, and Obama has switched to a medium that more people use.

Other examples come from our nation’s birth.  Thomas Paine’s Common Sense pamphlet argued for American independence from Britain by challenging the monarchical system.  He wrote in simple language that the common man could understand.  Later, The Federalist Papers, written by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, promoted the ratification of the Constitution.  They were printed in three newspapers in New York, and Hamilton encouraged their publication in newspapers outside of the state as well.  Again, we see that when leaders use a popular medium, and write in a way that can be easily understood, it has a greater influence on the public.  Also, government output should encourage the public to act in some way.  Open government is not simply about learning the issues, but having citizens make a change.

           On the other side, an example of increased public participation is the civil rights movement.  African Americans wanted to have their voting rights restored--after the 15th Amendment was passed, laws in the South still prevented many African Americans from voting--and to have a more equal society.  Through non-violent protests they added their voices to the conversation.  Also, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech was televised and had a huge effect on the nation.  Civilians don't always have to share their ideas through technological advancements, however.  The Montgomery bus boycotts sent a message to the government just as much as the televised march on Washington.  When the public are unable to give their voice (such as when there is discrimination or limited suffrage), they will find a way to be heard.
           So, it seems that the government must use a medium that the public uses.  That means it can't limit itself to only Google+ or Facebook.  However, that doesn’t necessarily mean creating a new product to be used universally.  Francesca Barrietos and Elizabeth Foughty write, “Government doesn’t need to invent new Web 2.0 tools or be the next Google—it just needs to use already proven tools” (Barrietos, 35).  The public already have many online resources available, but they may not know about them.  Rather than have the government try to come up with some new interface (which always run the risk of bugs in the system), they can use proven, popular tools already in place.  However, they will need to increase awareness about these sites and how to use them in order for them to be effective.

Conversely, the public must have an easy, simple way to share ideas with the government or they will have to resort to more drastic means.

           Another problem is that people simply aren’t sure how to share their ideas.  They want to add their voice to the conversation, and even to make a difference, but they don’t know how.  There are several online government forums and social networking sites that can help with this, including govloop.com, govcollab.wikispaces.com, collaborationproject.org, govsocmed.pbwiki.com, and others.   There are many blogs that give opinions on current legislative policies and movements, and also ideas on how to get involved.
           For example, one blogger on govloop.com has proposed an idea for how to decrease corporate influence during elections and in legislative measures in a post titled “Nationwide Grassroots Project Will Amend U.S. Constitution to End Corporate Power in Elections.”  In this case, this blog is not necessarily communicating directly with government representatives, but telling the public to send messages to Congress members to order a convention.  The author has a purpose and a proposed means of achieving that purpose.  She tells her audience simply what they can do to create a change by interacting with government officials.
           That's an excellent example of how to increase open government participation.  Have a goal and a way to achieve that goal.  Teach simply and give clear direction.  Really, that's a good way to increase participation in any area.

However, as helpful as these social networking sites are, if no one knows about them or where to find them, the site may as well not exist.  In order to really increase participation and collaboration in government, we must educate people on how to do it.  If the public is going to participate online (which, as mentioned, means both consuming government output, and then commenting on that output and connecting with government officials), the public must be informed about how to participate.

           There are several ways to achieve this.  Perhaps there could be advertising on billboards, magazines or newspapers in order to get those who are not participating online to go online.  Or, maybe classes might be offered in public schools and in community programs to help those who don't know how to use internet resources to become familiar and comfortable with using them.
           Many high schools already require classes such as US Government and Citizenship for graduation.  One learns about the Constitution, basic Federal procedures, the voting process, political parties, and so on in these classes.  It would be very simple to include a brief section about websites and other ways to stay connected with the government in a class like that.  It's already mandatory, so every graduating student will have passed through it, and if there was just the smallest part dedicated to teaching about where citizens can find out about government procedures, what resources they have available to learn about how to get involved, and ways they can contact representatives, it would influence an entire generation of citizens.  Furthermore, a class like that could be offered at the college level, or at community centers.
           Although we are not “engaged in a great civil war,” the words of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address are still true.  We must “highly resolve that… that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."  In order to do so, we must increase open government participation.  This means using a digital communications medium that is easy for citizens to use and access, and educating the public on how they may better participate in the online conversation.