Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Looking for Thoughts on Participatory Politics
The election of Barack Obama means change...in certain areas. Yes he selected "More of the same" for most of his cabinet posts. Yes, his economic recovery package looks like the Newer Deal.
But one thing is for certain; Barack Obama has consistently been the strongest advocate for empowering average citizens through technology and the internet. His solid position on Net Neutrality serves as the best example. Obama has already started using Change.gov as a forum for discussion. I'm interested to see how his administration will push this forward, how they will take in info and tips from across the country, how they will aggregate it, etc etc.
The best place to look will most likely be outside of Obama's government webpages for the time being. I'm on the hunt for the best tools and webpages that aid participatory politics. I'm looking for the sites that best act as a forum and aggregate debates in particular Congressional Districts. I'm looking for sites that best empower the citizens and build a large enough base to demand attention from Congress and the Obama Administration.
Here's a couple decent sites I've found so far:
Open Congress friend me, User Name: Zepickens
Our Presidency Friend me: Zepickens
I also use Digg, User Name: Zepickens
What I see emerging is a new, more democratic platform where citizens can contact their representatives, have debates in their communities, and be more engaged and connected to the issues that are effecting the lives of others in their community.
Give me some feedback here.
But one thing is for certain; Barack Obama has consistently been the strongest advocate for empowering average citizens through technology and the internet. His solid position on Net Neutrality serves as the best example. Obama has already started using Change.gov as a forum for discussion. I'm interested to see how his administration will push this forward, how they will take in info and tips from across the country, how they will aggregate it, etc etc.
The best place to look will most likely be outside of Obama's government webpages for the time being. I'm on the hunt for the best tools and webpages that aid participatory politics. I'm looking for the sites that best act as a forum and aggregate debates in particular Congressional Districts. I'm looking for sites that best empower the citizens and build a large enough base to demand attention from Congress and the Obama Administration.
Here's a couple decent sites I've found so far:
Open Congress friend me, User Name: Zepickens
Our Presidency Friend me: Zepickens
I also use Digg, User Name: Zepickens
What I see emerging is a new, more democratic platform where citizens can contact their representatives, have debates in their communities, and be more engaged and connected to the issues that are effecting the lives of others in their community.
Give me some feedback here.
Labels: Barack Obama, Citizen Journalism, New Media, Participatory Politics
