This document discusses using technology to improve democracy and civic engagement at the local level. It provides data on citizens' current online activities related to government and outlines features that could enhance government transparency, representation, decision making, engagement and inclusion. These include open data initiatives, online public meetings, feedback tools, and ensuring underrepresented groups are included in digital civic processes. The goal is to make local democracy more accessible and participatory through technology.

1. Sunshine 2.0:Using Technology in Democracy Steven Clift Executive Director E-Democracy.org

2. Government by Day, Citizen by Night - 1994

3. Sunshine 2.0 Vision. Demand. Goals. Measures. …for Local Democracy Online http://e-democracy.org/sunshine

4. Government Online – PewInternet.org April 2010 report brings fresh data: 48% of internet users have looked for information about a public policy or issue online with their local, state or federal government 46% have looked up what services a government agency provides 41% have downloaded government forms 35% have researched official government documents or statistics 33% have renewed a driver’s license or auto registration 31% use online platforms such as blogs, social networking sites, email, online video or text messaging to get government information 23% participate in the online debate around government policies or issues, with much of this discussion occurring outside of official government channels.

5. Outline - Example 1. What government wants to tell us. 2. What government must tell us. What we feel we need to know. 3. What we want to tell government. 4. What we need to “hear” from each other publicly in the context of government decisions. 5. Community collaboration, problem-solving, and inclusive engagement

6. 1. What government wants to tell us.

7. A home page says 1,000 words. Minneapolis wants so: Share news it has decided is important Highlight “results” Use social media Provide non-English information Promote services strongly Minneapolis must: Post salaries of top three paid employees for 90 days on home page

8. 2. What government must tell us. What we feel we need to know. “public=online”? – Transparency campaign by the Sunlight Foundation Accountability information.

9. Timely Access to Information Key e-service –e-alerts so you can ACT on information before it is too late!

10. Public Meetings On-Demand Linked video, documents Also see PublicMeetings.Info

11. Reusing Data – Personalized to You

12. Budgets and Spending South Carolina state agencies must put spending information online Comptroller promoting local government efforts

13. 3. What we want to tell government Communication. Understanding the “will of the people” in government.

14. Contact Me! Old and new clash online – “Current agendas are posted in front of City Hall in King Plaza on the elevator walls …”

15. Sorting Policy Input from Service Queries Menlo Park, CA “Community Engagement Feedback” Both citizen and government can track responses

16. DemocracyMap Can you “Enter address,” see every government entity that serves you and who specifically represents you (and how to contact them) The United States lacks an “open data” set on ALL government jurisdictions, districts, associated websites and elected officials. Huge “local up” market failure Online working group: http://e-democracy.org/democracymap

17. 4. What we need to “hear” from each other publicly in the context of government decisions Imagining online public spaces and hearings?

18. Great Councilmember Page, But Disconnected from Two-way

19. Tip Toe in the Facebook Real-names giving some governments confidence to create Facebook Pages with open comments Why not elsewhere?

20. 5. Community collaboration, problem-solving, and inclusive engagement

21. This page left intentionally blank. Let’s make this happen.

22. Community collaboration Using Technology for Community Building Webinar http://e-democracy.org/webinars E-Democracy Neighbors Forums http://tcneighbors.org http://neighbours.cc – New Zealand! Action Alexandria http://actionalexandria.org

23. Democracy Home Page Let’s be citizen-centric online in government.

24. Democracy Home Page How process works, effective participation Decision-making information Who represents you? Good tools for elected officials Local laws and rules Local elections Budgets, spending, and taxes Accountability Ethics, Freedom of Information, Transparency data, your rights, etc.

25. Democracy “Home” AskBristol.com – A world leading local e-democracy city (UK)

26. Democracy “Home” Palo Alto giving it a try with “Know Zone” Secrecy image?

27. Next Generation Local Democracy Features More examples!

28. Gathering Public Input Santa Cruz – UserVoice Amherst – Localocracy Manor “Labs” Texas

29. Freedom of Information Requests UK WhatDoTheyKnow.com shares results online

30. Deep Transparency E-mail sent to all Palo Alto City Council members before meetings Data sets in Washington DC

31. Really Deep Transparency Post-Communist Estonia appreciates “public=online” Tallinn’s Document Register, National X-Road provides secure access to private data held on you

32. Local Open Government Directive From CityCamp Colorado came an idea – let’s create generate bottom up support for local open government Modeled after Federal Open Government Directive http://opengovernmentinitiative.org

33. Community-wide Support for Democracy Online Webinar preview: http://e-democracy.org/webinars

34. The “default” local online news commenting experience is … Most people see, expect public conflict.Sharp contrast with private social networking.

35. “The most democratizing aspect of the Internet is the ability of people to organize and communicate in groups.”- Steven Clift in “Democracy is Online” article published by Internet Society, 1998

36. Neighbors Online – PewInternet.org 27% of American adult Internet users (or 20% of adults overall) use “digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.” 14% read a blog dealing with community issues at least once in the last year 13% exchanged emails with neighbors about community issues 7% say they belong to a community e-mail list (more women) 6% communicated with neighbors by text messaging on cell phones 5% joined a social network site group connected to community issues 3% followed neighbors using Twitter Read full report Lower income, Latino, rural need to be included Analysis on E-Democracy.org blog.

37. CC:, E-Lists, Placeblogs, Social Nets CC: E-mail The simple sheet of paper passed around at National Night Out … E-mail Discussion Lists E-Democracy.org forums, Google/YahooGroups, DC nhoods, Brooklyn parents Placeblogs Cornerstone of “citizen journalism” online, sometimes “watch dog” protest sites Local Social Networks Facebook Pages/Groups, Ning Sites, etc. Networks: Everyblock (v2), OhSoWe, Hey Neighbor, i-Neighbors (academic), Front Porch Forum, CommonPlace, Hello Elephant, and perhaps open source, non-profit BeNeighbors.org social enterprise led by E-Democracy.org

38. City Hall Local Media Coverage Personal Networks “Secondary Networks”e-mail forwards Civil Society Creating Public Space - Issues Forums Ctizen #1 Arts Group City Councilor Mayor Reporter Candidate New Resident Issues Forum GroupServer e-mails posts web view Citizens Local Biz Subscribe once Commitment secured Post via e-mail/web Librarian Citizen 500 Advocacy Group Neighborhood Leader Police Forum Manager

39. Neighbor Issues Forums Stories Somali community – 20 missing youth to crosswalks “Little Mekong” and BoaLee’s lessons Powderhorn Cinco de Mayoviolence Community garden Chickens in Bemidji Leech Lake Native American majority rural forum Inclusion evaluation in progress:http://e-democracy.org/inclusion

40. Conclusion Services first, democracy later.It is now later!

41. Sunshine 2.0 Draft Indicators Information "Your" Government/Democracy Page How request information via FOI Accountability Information - The Transparency Ten Pack Open Data Initiative Document Register/Info Catalog Representation Elected/appointed governance body clear on home page and Elected Officials List Appointed Officials and Bodies Election Information Council Member/Mayor Site Section Council Member/Mayor E-Newsletter or Blog E-Response Tool - E-Petition Receiver Help us pick the top ten!http://e-democracy.org/sunshine Decision-Making Public Meeting Calendar, Agenda, and Minutes Public Meeting Documents Webcasts - Live and On-Demand Performance Data E-Transparency System Engagement 311/Web Comment Form/General E-mail Inbox Online surveys and polls or requests for comments on reports or proposals Policy Pack - Response, Community Engagement, Social Media Use Online Exchange with Public (External Tools) Online Government Engagement (Government Managed) Online Features Community Links Section Site Search Content Management System with Web Feeds E-Updates Services What's New/What's Popular - Automated

42. Further Information As part of Participation 3.0 we are: Convening and working to “move the field” Plotting a “Locals Online” roll call webinar Working with League of Women Voters on “Sunshine 2.0” guide for local evaluation of govs online support for democracy Working with OpenPlans.org on “DemocracyMap” Really pushing inclusion in online civic engagement Developing next generation partnership proposals by 4Q Steven Clift clift@e-democracy.org @democracy on Twitter 612-234-7072 Links http://blog.e-democracy.org http://e-democracy.org/p3 http://stevenclift.com Slides also available from: http://www.slideshare.net/netclift