U.S. Citizens Participate at Open Government Dialogue

(Dear Reader: To follow the Discussion Phase that began June 3, go to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Blog.)

REVIEW

Transparency, Participation, Collaboration

President Obama promised us greater governmental transparency, participation, and collaboration.  The most exciting aspect of this directive is the new, experimental online process of public engagement for policy-making.  Go to the Open Government Dialogue website, of the National Academy of Public Administration, to join citizens who are contributing policy-making recommendations.

Public Engagement for Policy-Making

Wow!  Does “public engagement” mean we can post comments on the Whitehouse Blog?  Not exactly (the offical Whitehouse Blog does not support commenting).  Does it mean government employees will be laid-off?  No, their expertise is needed for policy-making.  But it does mean that the Obama Administration wants to pick the brains of citizen-experts during the policy creation process, and is devising an online mechanism for engaging public participation.

Much of the expertise we need can be found among the nation’s citizens.  From economic recovery and health care reform to environmental protection and homeland security, we must ensure that government makes the best possible decisions informed by the best possible expertise and information. With today’s tools, we can create a two-way dialogue between the American people and their government and develop policy that benefits from the diverse perspectives of an engaged citizenry. ~ Whitehouse.gov

3-Phase Participatory Process

The Open Government Initiative is in the midst of a 3-phase participatory process by which the actual method of public engagement will be crafted.  You are invited to join the process:

• Phase One: Brainstorm (began May 21, closed May 28) – People shared ideas and recommendations on how to make government more open.  You can still vote on proposed ideas or add your own (although it is too late to contribute to the discussion agenda).
• Phase Two: Discuss (begins June 3) – Dig deeper into the ideas and challenges identified during the Brainstorming Phase.
• Phase Three: Draft (begins June 15) – Collaborate on a wiki platform to address challenges from the Discussion Phase, and to draft the language of recommendations.

Open Government Dialogue

It is easiest to follow the 3-phase participatory process from the Open Government Dialogue website.  You’ll find ideas organized under “Categories,” or you can use the search box to look for topics under discussion.  Idea posts are accompanied by:

• Participant votes (Looks promising!) or (I’m not so sure…)
• A brief explanation about why the idea is important
• Comments
• Links to related topics

Add your voice to the dialogue.  You need to register first to log-in; then post, comment, or vote.   You can manage email notification preferences for newly posted ideas and comments at your profile (only your email address is required to set up a profile).  You can also subscribe to updates via RSS feed or Twitter.

The breadth of addressed issues is broad.  Topics range from the issue of executive bonuses to Daylight Savings Time.  Here’s a list of the current top-rated ideas:

• Support a 72-Hour Mandatory Public Review Period on Major Spending Bills
• End Imperial Presidency
• Legalize Marijuana
• Remove Marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act
• Encourage State and Local Governments to Become More Open and Inclusive

Note that a top-rated idea could conceivably be the result of organized special-interest activity, and (in any case) may not necessarily represent the viewpoint of the citizen majority.  The discussion of Phase Two will undoubtedly provide an objective and comprehensive overview of the issues related to a particular topic, while maintaining respect for diversity.

To add one of your ideas to the Open Government Dialogue, click the orange “New Idea” button located in the upper-left of the page.  A log is retained of the ideas you submit, so it’s easy to follow the votes and comments your ideas receive.

Final Summary of Open Government Dialogue

The Open Government Dialogue is intriguing because of the innovation that supplements the expertise of government employees with the insights of the American people – at every stage of the process.  Watching the project unfold further will be exciting.  Plan to visit Open Government Dialogue starting June 3rd, when Phase Two (Discussion) begins.

Pros

• An opportunity to contribute thought towards government policy-making.
• A medium that enhances deeper insight into national issues.
• A simple-to-use online system for public participation.
• Participants can keep track of votes and comments of the ideas they submit.

Cons

• Open Government Dialogue is difficult to locate.  Open Government Initiative, which is featured on Whitehouse.com, logically should link to it, but the links are presently dead-ending back to the Initiative page.  Don’t get stuck there, go directly to Open Government Dialogue to see real-time policy-making recommendations from the American public.
• There is little at Open Government Dialogue to prevent special-interest group members from inflating vote count for an idea.

Did you check out Open Government Dialogue?  What did you think about the site?

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