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Throughout history, the world has seen many different forms of government,
ranging from lawless anarchies, dominating monarchies and dictatorships, ideological
socialisms and communisms, and people-oriented republics and democracies. A
common theme behind each of these has been the overarching goal and aspiration
to create the perfect form of governance. Today, this aspiration takes the form
of an "Open Government."
The fact that President Obama issued the "Transparency and Open Government"
memorandum only a day after being sworn in as the 44th President shows just
how important the principles of a Transparent, Participatory, and Collaborative
Government are to him. As part of the memo, President Obama asked that an Open
Government Directive be issued by the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) within 120 days of this memo. Due to a variety of reasons, some
of which are related to topics discussed in this article, we are still waiting
for the formal directive to be issued.
What is an Open Government?
In one of the most quoted speeches in U.S. history, the Gettysburg Address,
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that a "government of the people,
by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." It is
precisely this school of thought -- one in which a government is accountable
to the people it serves -- that defines what an "open government"
is all about.
The current Open Government initiative is aimed at enhancing this government
accountability via an unprecedented transparency of government, pro-active public
engagement, and an ongoing government-to-citizen collaboration. This ensures
that the most pressing concerns of the people are being addressed in the most
innovative, cost effective and efficient manner.
Ultimately, an open government boils down to a government that is able to clearly
demonstrate its value by showing citizens tangible results of their tax dollars,
which in turn earns the government the trust of its citizens.
Technology plays a key role in the current Open Government initiative. Federal
CIO Vivek Kundra has stated web 2.0 technologies are essential to "tap
into the vast amounts of knowledge...in communities across the country."
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