Module #1 Post

The discussion by Dr. Malone in the first chapters of his book fit well with the talk given by David Cameron in framing how technology changes government, people, and power distributions. Dr. Malone argues that technology has decreased the costs and barriers to communication, thereby leading to a more decentralized social structure and increasing individual autonomy. This seems to stand to observations of how the world has changed with access to information. Mr. Cameron concurs with this sentiment; he talked at length about how access to information puts power into the hands of citizens and knowledge can and will shape how government addresses social problems. He gave two examples which clearly displayed his argument. One was explaining that citizens can look at crime data in their city and make an opinion of the real threats to their communities, whereas previously it was only the government agency tasked with public safety that would even be aware of what crimes were being committed. The other example was how technology can sync with economic theory to change individual behavior- this was achieved by showing individuals what they spent on electricity and then compared them to their neighbors. This argument made sense with my own personal observations studying public administration and policy and working in state government. My supervisor, for example, has worked to make sure that government content is not only accessible to the public, but it is done in a way that is accessible. She argues that simply posting the information does not equate with government transparency unless citizens can actually locate and correctly interpret the information they seek.


Both Mr. Cameron and Dr. Malone took a historical view of communication and power. Dr. Malone described the transition from individual bands to centralized kingdoms to decentralized democracies. He argued that as individuals banded together in organizations, the strenuous nature of communication made centralization necessary. His argument of why people organized as they did is interesting, though communication and safety are not the only reasons for a society to develop. I appreciated that he took his construct further to explain the benefits of living in a society that range from security to trade. The historical construct helped with the framing of how government has worked up to the point of the information age. It is clear that a transition to a decentralized society will be rather difficult, even with some trends such as outsourcing already in progress. My favorite part of both the reading and presentation was Mr. Cameron’s discussion of how technology and economics can remake politics and government to increase public well being. This was the “so what” that made me interested in this topic prior to the course beginning. Technology can be a tool to positively impact the lives of people in their everyday lives and improves the relationship that citizens have with their government. This is an area that will be very dynamic as people and governments adapt to the new tools available and the new expectations that come with the increase in information.

I have had experience with Facebook before this class. In this universe, I feel well established and comfortable. I enjoy the way this social network allows connection with people that would otherwise be out of my life. I have been able to keep contact with cohorts from my home town, college, and other activities. It shows connections through contacts. I have not used Twitter before. It is not that I have any antipathy towards the program, only that I felt overwhelmed with new programs at one point. I look forward to following the different groups and individuals selected. I tried to get a variety of viewpoints so that any updates I receive help with my overall understanding of the world as it is.