I generally agree with everything you assert. There are many obstacles that stand in the way of adoption of social software for a variety of USG missions.

I think that the vision of having a more “Deliberative Democracy,” in which the government partly relies on the deliberation of citizens in order to make sound policy decisions (in contrast to Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy) is a good one but it will take time.

The first priority must not be to get political appointees or principal deputy assistant secretaries to see that Twitter is rad or to form government unconferences and barcamps. It should be to raise awareness via thoughtful writing and briefings geared towards them, and by small experiments showing how small uses of social software can enhance ongoing missions throughout USG. This will eventually lead to good things happening in a more ‘official’ manner.

I remember in 1992, when I worked for the Canadian Embassy in Washington. We couldn’t email outside government. So I went rogue (okay, with official support and special requests and begging): I got a second computer and dial-up access to the outside world to communicate with the business community who were my clients.

I remember in 1995, when web sites were decried by many government leaders as a waste of time and resources…maybe people recall that the State Department’s export controls division got so far ahead of its mother ship’s bureaucratic curve that their initial web site was http://www.pmdtc.org (rather than being a .gov).

The enlightened find a way…how can we help leading adopters open a path without needing subterfuge and machetes?

Judy Bradt
Principal
Summit Insight
703 627 1074
judy.bradt@summitinsight.com

Thanks for keeping the meme going. I like your take, and as someone who is now part of Uncle Sam’s Big Ol’ Family, I share many of your thoughts.

Mark

Thoughtful post (and thanks for the link). While I’m not a beltway insider, my dad worked for the government for about 30 years before retiring in ‘89, so I grew up learning about things like the Hatch Act, and later spent some time working in state government myself (in Missouri). The challenges faced with being more open are more complex than one would think.

However, I do believe that the intelligence and creativity demonstrated by Obama’s campaign means that if any is to make steps in this direction, I think they are.

Best,
Jen

@Steve: Spare me your social media strategy lecture. You can use that with your clients. I’m tired of people making up catch phrases and I was calling Geoff out on it. The post simply shouldn’t be titled with “social governance” – it makes no sense. I agree with your point and his — but let’s stop creating and using jargon simply because it embraces the authentic-markets-are-conversations-transparency-openness-utopian nature that dominates social media circles.

It’s a stereotype, I know. There are many exceptions. But all too often the “fogies” laugh off us “young kids.” I think this is a bigger problem in government than elsewhere, probably mostly because of the demographics of D.C. workers. Andrew Krzmarzick would be the expert on this idea, me thinks.

There seems to be a pretty huge disconnect with the title and the idea. Social governance seems to be a Geoff Livingston created governing philosophy; your post is about using social media in the government. But thanks for the definition. :-D