Last year I wrote a pair of blog entries on ways to engage citizens in government (July 2007, October 2007) and another last month on a pilot effort to conduct a national dialogue among citizens. Some academics see broader engagement as one way to create the credibility and legitimacy needed for political officials to make difficult decisions. I think there’s something to this perspective.
This perspective was reflected in the 2008 Democratic Platform as well:
“We are committed to a participatory government. We will use the most current technology available to improve the quality of government decision-making and make government less beholden to special interest groups and lobbyists. We will enhance the flow of information between citizens and government—in both directions—by involving the public in the work of government agencies. We will not simply solicit opinions, but will also use new technology to tap into the vast expertise of the American citizenry, for the benefit of government and our democracy.” (page 54)
A coalition of organizations that advocate greater citizen engagement designed an action agenda for the Obama Administration that addresses the aspirations reflected in the Platform statement. This coalition of nearly 50 organizations including Demos, AmericaSpeaks, and Everyday Democracy, sponsored a conference in late summer to explore these issues and followed up by drafting a set of just-released recommendations in a paper entitled “Strengthening Our Nation’s Democracy:”
Create a White House Office of Civic Engagement. The new Obama Administration should create a White House-level office to serve as a government-wide focal point and provide leadership on a wide array of engagement efforts, such as an interagency network to build agency-level capacity to engage citizens in policy-making.
Convene National Discussions. The new President should signal a new kind of governance by calling on the American people to take part in a series of national discussions, engaging “millions of voices at the table” on issues of high-level concern such as the economy, healthcare, energy, and climate change.
Pursue a Legislative Agenda to Increase Participation. The new President should work with Congress to enhance citizen engagement by amending existing laws that limit participation, providing incentives for agencies to engage citizens, and enhancing electoral reforms.
The Coalition’s recommendations are reinforced by a recent Washington Post article by Michael Fletcher, “Think Tank Urges a Trust in Government Initiative Along with Obama Agenda.” The article summarizes a paper by Elaine Kamarck and Bill Galston who say the new president will need to “pursue an explicit trust strategy” in order to be effective in pursuing his policy initiatives. They say that unless the public trusts the government to do the right thing, the president may “Trust shapes the limits of political possibility,” said Kamarck.
Tags: AmericaSpeaks, Bill Galston, citizen engagement, civic engagement, democracy, democratic platform, Demos, Elaine Kamarck, Everyday Democracy, national dialogue, Washington Post, White House Office of Civic Engagement
November 20, 2008 at 3:32 pm |
The statement in the Democratic platform is on the mark. It reflects some of my experiences with the reinventing government efforts which involved various level’s of government plus various other entities. What the Feds brought to the table was the ability to circumvent their rules that did not have the force of law – about 80% of the rules. In my area, federal lands, most of these organizations are alive and evolving. This is an excellent base to use as a starting point.
November 29, 2008 at 2:19 pm |
Check out http://www.PolicyPitch.com, a platform for civic engagement at the local level.
December 2, 2008 at 10:06 am |
As a mediator and advocate for alternative dispute resolution practices at all levels of government and in our communities, I am interested in any new direction the 2008 transition team is making toward creating an office/board/committee to further means toward resolving conflicts using ADR in our federal, state and local governments as well as in our communites.
Does Mr. Kamensky have any knowledge of such a move?
December 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm |
Joyce — The federal ADR network has been discussed by knowledgable advocats for increased citizen involvement as a potential foundation for these proposed broader citizen engagement initiatives. The existing network is widely distributed, engaged, and could provide some initial leadership. I don’t know if this is being examined by the transition at this point, given some of the really big challenges the new Administration will be facing, but there is a good chance that once a more nuanced look is given, there is a good chance the federal ADR community may be asked to provide both insights and leadership.
December 3, 2008 at 1:52 pm |
I’d like to also see a few ordinary citizens be involved in policy meetings via Web cam. These ‘Citizen Advisors’ would sit along side policy experts, academics, goverment officials, business and organizational leaders when important policy discussions take place.
Experts and high-ranking officials should definitely be at policy discussions and can present information not readily available from the ordinary citizen. But as we know, sometimes the full understanding of an issue lies outside of research, reports, figures and the like.
Citizen Advisors would be ordinary people who know an issue because they live the issue. For a Citizen Advisor their credentials don’t come from University diplomas or impressive job titles. Rather their credentials are earned by what they face in their every-day life. Sitting along side experts and officials who usually discuss these issues, the Citizen Advisor would give a fuller perspective on an issue they know and live.
Citizen Advisors would come from all across the country, from all walks of life, and give voice to the common person. Citizen Advisors might not be able to partake in every issue, such as national security, but there are many issues to which they can speak.
December 4, 2008 at 9:04 am |
Dear Rondar — Citizen advisors sounds like an interesting approach. Another approach that engages a broader group of citizens seems to be underway by the Obama Transition. In this morning’s Washington Post, “Obama Policymakers Turn to Campaign Tools,” HHS Sec.-Designee Daschle is reported as having launched a 1,000 person conference call on health care reform: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120303829.html?hpid=topnews
Should be interesting to see the various new approaches to citizen engagement that will likely evolve in coming months in the new Administration.