Upcoming Panel Discussion: Can Technology Fix California Governments?

I look forward to joining this Zócalo/New America Foundation event as co-panelist, October 26, 2011 at Stanford. From the announcement:

Zócalo in Palo Alto: Can Technology Save California Governments?

California has more than 4,500 local governments, yet it still often feels ungoverned. Proponents of so-called “e-government” say technology can change that: the digital world, they argue, offers a better way to connect citizens to government and provide services faster and more efficiently. A new report, “Hear Us Now?,” surveys how California governments use technology and proposes ways of measuring the success of their e-government initiatives. April Manatt, principal of April Manatt Consulting and the author of the report; Greg Hermann, senior management analyst for the city of Carlsbad; Tim Bonnemann of San Jose participation company Intellitics, Inc.; and Dakin Sloss, executive director of California Common Sense, visit Zócalo to discuss the future of e-government and whether it can solve the challenges facing local communities.

The panel will be moderated by Joe Mathews, Irvine Senior Fellow, New America Foundation. Check the website for venue details and to RSVP.

E-government has many dimensions, one of which is e-democracy, the “use of electronic communication vehicles, such as e-mail and the Internet, to increase citizen participation in the public decision-making process” (source). The current state of e-participation in California and opportunities in this area will be my area of focus.

I’d you’d care to help me prep, please share your thoughts in the comments, tweet using hashtag #opengovca, or answer this (slightly rephrased) question on Quora: How should California’s 4,500 local governments apply technology to help improve governance?

Thanks, and see you on the 26th!

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