This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the incomplete title above was published at http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2011/06/28-social-media-west. The second was published at http://www.vic.gov.au/blog/research-reports/web-2-0-new-tools-democratic-conversations-snapshot-initiatives-government/
Social media are the ultimate in disruptive technology. They change information delivery, business organization, online content, news coverage, and the manner in which individuals process new developments. These digital tools represents a example of voter mobilization and electoral impact. They are, in the words of Mindy Finn, founding partner of Engage, an online media strategy company, "the central nervous system of campaign organizations." Despite social networking`s track record for generating democratic engagement, though, it has proven difficult to sustain political interest and activism online over time and move eletronic engagement from campaigns to governance. Faced with a polarized political environment and arcane debates over legislative provisions, many people have opted out of the civic participation. The Brooking Center for Technology (BCT) Innovation convened a distinguished set of experts to offer advice on using social networking and digital tools to reinvigorate democracy and extend electronic engagement from campaigns and grassroots activism to governance. BCT also heard advice and commentary from hundreds of activists. Topics for discussion included strategies for voter empowerment, citizen engagemnet. and governance transformation. Specifically, The BCT discussed: What tools do government and campaigners use to engage the people? How does social networking improve participation, engagement, and collaboration? And how will social media be used in the next elections? Based on this discussion, BCT identified suggestions for using social media to improve campaign engagement and reinvigorate democracy. 1) Future Political Effectiveness is Going to Be Based on Social Networks Because that is Where "Trust Filters" Operate. Politicians often disagree not just on interpretations, but on the facts. Increasingly, people are using their personal networks to fact-checks claims, evaluate the quality of information, and alert them to what is important in the world. As pointed out by Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Research Center, these developments allow individuals to "act like broadcasters and publishers." Those seeking to engage citizens must win the trust to be influential. Future political influence is going to be network based because those are the filters used to access and evaluate political information. Unless you can get past those trust filters, you will not be able to influence the course of electoral events. 2) Recognize that Campaign Organizations No Longer Control Electoral Discussions. Electoral campaigns will be more decentralized in terms of a politician's control over debate topics and more focused around social media. One of the news ways social media will affect tje elction is that people are organizing their own networks and candidates will be forced to answer questions they may not wish to answer. 3) Create Virtual Opportunities for Citizen Feedback and Deliberation. By asking their views and giving them a chance to provide feedback, this approach engages citizens with government and allows them to help shape the output. 4) Use Social Media for Direct Persuasion. With the help of social media, ordinary citizens can become agents of persuasion and leverage their personal network for whatever values, issue positions, or ideological stances that they cherish. 5) Improve the Diversity of Information and Exposure Through Social Media. No longer does politics have to be an echo chamber where people of like-mindedness listen to one another, but digital tech enriches political conversation and allows people to get the kind of information that helps them evaluate candidates and policy ideas.
Web 2.0 enables and accelerates the transition to a more connected world in which open, user-centred and self-organising networks create value. As governments and the public sector start to do the same, they will encounter the same challenge, which is that these new tools do not just change structures and processes, they change behaviour as well. This is the big challenge for governments to make the most of this way of working. If they want to use them to improve the design of public services, to empower citizens to use information to create new services or to harness more powerful combinations of knowledge for better policy, then they have to embrace the consequent shift of culture and behaviour too. Governments need to consider implementing Web 2.0 tech as a way of becoming relevant to citizens. This is especially compelling in recognition of the view that many democracies are experiencing what has been termed a 'democratic deficit' with a declining trust in governments and an accompanying retreat from civic engagement. Today's digital revolution has, and is continuing to create new ways for the further empowerment of citizens. The Government 2.0 proposition, involves a cultural shift towards a recognition of this and a willingness in government to encourage engagement, partnership, and collaboration. It is important to remember that although Web 2.0 offers exciting new tech tools, the tools themselves are not what matter so much as the potential that they bring for the improvement to services, the strengthening of the democratic contract and the creation of collaboration within and among agencies as well as fostering greater community participation. Ultimately, Web 2.0 is part of a cultural process towards a more open and inclusive model for government, that enables citizens. By actively inviting a partnership with citizens, government decision-making process is strengthened and endowed with authenticity and transparency. Use of Web tools by government may help to craft amore deliberative dialogue with citizens to better meet their needs.
