New technology has irrevocably changed elections, and it has the potential to transform governance and produce a more open and participatory political culture with effective institutions that engender trust. Opening Government, a MacArthur supported research initiative, seeks to study the impact of technology on democratic institutions in the United States and globally. Predicated upon the theory that government institutions do not yet adequately use the collective know-how available to them in order to govern effectively, the initiative seeks to open our institutions and bring diverse talents to bear using technology. The initiative brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers, public sector innovators, and technologists that will develop the agenda for a future research network, including the design for research projects to advance and study opening government and promote effective and participatory governance in the networked age.
Members of the Opening Government “Pre-Network” discuss how technology can open our institutions.
