Best Practices: Transparency in Government
I believe that the inner-workings of government are cryptic and confusing for most Americans .
Attempting to decipher the complexities of our three branches is often difficult. Most people have to work for a living, raise their children, and juggle the challenges of their daily lives. I think that many Americans are hard pressed to find the time to monitor and trace the dealings of our government. Tracking our legislative process, executive orders and judicial decisions is further limited by the narrow stream of media that filters, simplifies and reports government highlights. As a result, most of us only have the time and resources to maintain a minimal awareness of how we are being represented by our elected officials. Our greatest hope is that we have elected responsible trustees of our policy to make informed decisions on our behalf while we lead our lives.
I salute efforts to bring more transparency to our government. The internet has become a great equalizer to inform citizens. Blogs, podcasts, and other e-tools are providing more resources to stay abreast of critical issues. These solutions offer convenient access to the activities in our public trust, while easing the burden on law makers and elected officials to communicate their actions - and needs. Don't forget that just as our elected officials have a responsibility to survey our needs and act for the "greater good," we have a responsibility to help our elected officials govern by monitoring their needs and decisions and providing feedback and support.
I have highlighted a few best practices below. President Obama has set an expectation for transparency in government. Beyond the traditional weekly radio address, he has leveraged the technology platform that he created during his campaign to share pertinent information about his priorities. Check out his weekly podcast at WhiteHouse.Gov. Our President and his administration are bringing communications in to the 21st century. Bookmark this site, put it in your favorites - and do your part to support your President by staying informed.
Next, I have gained great respect for U.S. Representative Jared Polis, a freshman legislator for Colorado's 2nd Congressional District. He appears to be leveraging a number of outlets to share his efforts with his constituents, and to orient Americans about the process of government. He is making an effort to peel back the layers that shroud the process of government, and make it less intimidating and accessible for every day people. I saw Rep. Polis at Thornton High School this week, as he came in to speak with high school students in his congressional district about his "new job." One of his staffers was following him around with a small web cam so they could post the day on his website. While I haven't seen that footage yet, he has done a number of web and other interviews that reflect his efforts to nurture a culture of transparency:
Towleroad Interview
CNN Video
CNN Article
Attempting to decipher the complexities of our three branches is often difficult. Most people have to work for a living, raise their children, and juggle the challenges of their daily lives. I think that many Americans are hard pressed to find the time to monitor and trace the dealings of our government. Tracking our legislative process, executive orders and judicial decisions is further limited by the narrow stream of media that filters, simplifies and reports government highlights. As a result, most of us only have the time and resources to maintain a minimal awareness of how we are being represented by our elected officials. Our greatest hope is that we have elected responsible trustees of our policy to make informed decisions on our behalf while we lead our lives.
I salute efforts to bring more transparency to our government. The internet has become a great equalizer to inform citizens. Blogs, podcasts, and other e-tools are providing more resources to stay abreast of critical issues. These solutions offer convenient access to the activities in our public trust, while easing the burden on law makers and elected officials to communicate their actions - and needs. Don't forget that just as our elected officials have a responsibility to survey our needs and act for the "greater good," we have a responsibility to help our elected officials govern by monitoring their needs and decisions and providing feedback and support.
I have highlighted a few best practices below. President Obama has set an expectation for transparency in government. Beyond the traditional weekly radio address, he has leveraged the technology platform that he created during his campaign to share pertinent information about his priorities. Check out his weekly podcast at WhiteHouse.Gov. Our President and his administration are bringing communications in to the 21st century. Bookmark this site, put it in your favorites - and do your part to support your President by staying informed.
Next, I have gained great respect for U.S. Representative Jared Polis, a freshman legislator for Colorado's 2nd Congressional District. He appears to be leveraging a number of outlets to share his efforts with his constituents, and to orient Americans about the process of government. He is making an effort to peel back the layers that shroud the process of government, and make it less intimidating and accessible for every day people. I saw Rep. Polis at Thornton High School this week, as he came in to speak with high school students in his congressional district about his "new job." One of his staffers was following him around with a small web cam so they could post the day on his website. While I haven't seen that footage yet, he has done a number of web and other interviews that reflect his efforts to nurture a culture of transparency:
Towleroad Interview
CNN Video
CNN Article
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