Open Government 2.0: Government of, by, for, and with the People

摘要

In the 1990s, the Internet changed communication and commerce forever. A decade later, the Web 2.0 revolution enabled a new disruption in media by democratizing the tools for publishing. Citizens without specialized technical skills can now easily upload pictures, video, and text to a more interactive Web, where they can then use powerful new platforms to share, mix, and comment upon it all. In the years since the first social networks went online, the disruption presented by this dynamic online enuironment, fed by faster Internet connections and a global explosion of mobile users, has created shifts in the power structure as forceful as those brought about by the introduction of the printing press centuries ago. With the Internet being hailed as the public arena for our time, governments around the world are waking up to a changed information environment in the 21st century. Social-media platforms present new risks and rewards for governments, but the fact is these platforms are hosting public discourse between hundreds of millions of citizens. In the context of these changes, public servants have begun using social media to share information and engage with citizens. Here, /our Government 2.0 pioneers share their insights, experiences, and hopes about the new opportunities social media offers for people to participate in their government.