For the past four year the US Public Interest Group has graded each of the 50 states on their level of transparency. While 7 states made the honor roll, six states received failing grades. How did your state do? Phineas Baxandall is a senior analyst for tax and budget at the US Public Interest Group.Read… Read more »
“Government is the air we breathe the water we drink. So it is incumbent among all of us who celebrate it and those who hate it to try to make it better and more relevant. Don’t give up on government. Don’t sit back and passively complain. Let’s have a two-way conversation,” said Gavin Newsom. NewsomRead… Read more »
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Foursquare. These are all tools necessary in this day and age to reach your audience, but just having them and putting messages out is no longer enough. As new social media tools become the “hot item” while the ones you’re just getting used to are phased out; the balancing act ofRead… Read more »
Do you want to work in the foreign service? The State Department has launched a mobile application to help. The app gives prospective Foreign Service officers a taste of what could be in store for them. Terry Davidson is the Recruitment and Outreach Division Chief at the State Department. He told Chris Dorobek on theRead… Read more »
If you’ve ever had the privilege to visit Arlington National Cemetery you know the grounds are vast. In fact there are more than 290,000 soldiers buried throughout the 624 acres of hallowed ground. The terrain can make it difficult for families to locate the headstone of their loved ones. So Arlington National Cemetery has goneRead… Read more »
Philadelphia has hired its first ever Director of Civic Technology. The role is part of the CIO’s and the Mayor’s overall plan for innovation management in Philadelphia. “By creating this position they are demonstrating their embrace of civic technologies,” said Tim Wisniewski. Wisniewski was hired as the Director of Civic Technology in 2012. He toldRead… Read more »
It was bound to happen sooner or later. That is, private sector companies marketing the latest tablets to consumers based on their sex — it could be a money maker, never know? World’s First Tablet for Women According to Mashable: “Don’t worry, ladies. There’s finally an easy-to-use tablet just for us. It’s called the ePadRead… Read more »
Citizen participation is at the foundation of democratic values, and is a fascinating area of study. When citizen participation programs are implemented effectively, more citizens are brought into the decision making process, and allows government to be more responsive to community needs. Additionally, citizen engagement initiatives have the ability to build community, grow leaders, andRead… Read more »
Yesterday, I spent all day in jury duty. In the end, I didn’t get picked for the week-long trial but I found the whole process pretty fascinating. It’s great to see a truly diverse, cross-section group of individuals across the city come together to serve in government. Particularly I think there is a lot ofRead… Read more »
My latest writing project has been quite challenging. At the beginning of 2013, I wrapped up the first draft of a book I’m writing about the open government movement in Raleigh, North Carolina. The City of Raleigh has made a lot of progress over the last two years, which is part of the inspiration forRead… Read more »