Transcript Slide 1

Citizens 2.0 –
Defining our democratic
future together.
Steven Clift,
Founder and Board Chair
E-Democracy.Org
e-democracy.org
Hola/Hello
•It all started in 1994 …
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A new Athens for Democracy?
e-democracy.org
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Building Democracy and
Community Online
• I-35W Bridge Collapse
over Mississippi River
• It could have been
anyone.
• Community shared
their stories, offered
help via Internet.
• E-Democracy.Org
forums provide vital
space for discussion.
• Collaborative "wiki"
created content
commons.
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Frustration Today
• Failure of technological determinism
• People expect two-way, those in
power still one-way
• Private lives dominate "public life"
online
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Opportunity
• Realistic, incremental change -trial
and error improvements
• Technology and tools advancing Internet always on, everywhere, in
everything
• Rule of law and funding priorities in
government, media, and civil society
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Links to Everything
• From:
–http://stevenclift.com
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Speech Overview
• Introduction
• Quick Statistics
• Top contributions to democracy
online
– Candidates and campaigns
– Government
– Media
– Citizens
• Conclusion
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Quick Statistics
• More. More. More.
• Dramatic sounding number here.
• Reality – everyday more people are
using the Internet and mobile
communication in politics and
community than the day before.
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Quick Statistics
• OK, some real numbers from PewInternet.Org:
• 92 million American adults use government Websites
• 75 million used internet in connection with the political campaign - 04
– 64 million did so in 2006 (mid-term election)
• 52 million use the internet to research policy issues
• 38 million have sent email to government officials to try change policies
• 32 million have emailed jokes about candidates
• 26 million use the internet for news about politics on average day in
2006, up 140% from 2002
• 25 million fact-checked the candidates online in 2006
• 24 million have participated in organized lobbying campaigns
• 21 million have watched political videos online (as of February, 2007)
• 15 million consulted issue-oriented Websites in 2006
• 14 million were political content creators and sharers in 2006
• 14 million read political and media blogs
• 13 million consulted candidate sites in 2006
• 4 million donated to candidates online in 2006
• 2 million write about politics on their blogs
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Recent Articles
• Ten Practical Online Steps for
Government Support of Democracy
• Part of new 47 page U.S.
government publication about
e-democracy. See: stevenclift.com
• UK Local E-Democracy Project – See:
www.e-democracy.gov.uk
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Candidates and campaigns
1. Organize your supporters
2. Generate multimedia and spread it
3. Shake hands at the digital parades
of online social networks and
groups
• Seeking power and influence online
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Made for Internet Candidate in 98 –
Jesse Ventura, former Governor of
Minnesota
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Organize Supporters – Gather E-mail
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Communicate with supporters,
introduce the candidate
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Activate Supporters
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Involve Supporters Locally
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Digital Parade – Social Networks
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Digital parade -TechPresident.com
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Who is number one? Colbert!
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Online Debates – Video Questions
• YouTube/CNN – Citizen questions
selected by editors. Response via TV.
• 10Questions.com – Citizen questions
voted on by public. Online video
answers.
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Following the Online Campaign
• Some great “politics as sport” sites:
–TechPresident.com
–ePolitics.com
–PoliticsOnline.com
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Government Support for
Democracy Online
1. Timely, personalized access to
information that matters
2. Moving from government
innovators to universal rule of law
3. Informing voters and improving
election process
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E-mail
notices in
St. Paul
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Alberta Gov’s Web Feeds
• Those little
orange icons
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Deep Access and Accountability
• Estonia’s Today I Decide, Document
Register, X-Road (below)
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UK Prime Minister’s e-Petitions
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Live Rural Villages Town
Meeting, India –
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Democracy Portal with
“e-democracy” policy,
Queensland, Australia
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Gov Voter Guides in Korea
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Mobile Photos to Enforce
Anti-Corruption Election Laws
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Media Support for Democracy Online
1. One click to comment to reporter
2. Create vibrant convening window
into area politics
3. Promote government sunshine,
transparency
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Convene Across Partisan Divide –
Left/Right Blogger Links in U.S.
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Reuse
Government Data
– Make Useful
Crime Data in
Chicago
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Top Five Citizen "to dos" for
Democracy Online
1. Build our public lives online
2. Get candidates to make public
promises
3. Contribute time or money online
4. Request information service and
new government vision
5. Demand truly public spaces online,
build local up
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Private Spaces with “Public”
Qualities – v. Online Public Spaces
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Like Minds Organize Easily
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For the Non-Dog Lover
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Need Public Spaces – Online
Versions of Town Halls, Capitols
• Online public spaces,
not just “public”
commercial spaces
• Need for decorum,
civility, agendasetting, relevance,
accountability
<- The Minnesota
Capitol Rotunda
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C
i
Personal t
Networks i
z
e
n
s
City Hall
Neighbor #1
Creating
Public Space
- Issues
Forums
Local Media
Coverage
Issues Forum
Subscribe once
Commitment secured
Post via e-mail/web
GroupServer
e-mails posts
web view
“Secondary
Networks”
e-mail forwards
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Local Biz
Civil Society
Issues Forums – E-Democracy.Org
Recent Topics
• Local schools
• Support for area war veterans
• Neighborhood park changes
• Water quality and shortage
• Crime and policing
• Candidates and elections
• Feral cat problem
• Racetrack noise pollution
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Conclusion
• Build democracy with the new tools
of today.
• Links, blog/e-newsletter, online
groups, and more from
http://stevenclift.com
e-democracy.org