The seminars I conducted with the Prime Group in Europe last week focused on what it
really means to have a president who embraces technology and science --
for campaigns, e-government, policy, and advocacy (hint: policy already
matters; steps toward transparency and participation are mostly
window-dressing but may start to change management culture and more in
the long run). Most takeaways are published in this blog; the
PowerPoint outline can be downloaded here.
Brussels blogger Gerald Loftus did a nice summary of the European response, presented by the thoughtful and charismatic Vice President of the European Commission, former Swedish minister Margot Wallström. While she spelled out the differences between Europe and the U.S., she clearly welcomes the trend toward more public engagement, something that feels far removed from the halls of the European Parliament.
Whether online or face to face, whether in the old media or the new, both in the EU and the US, what democracy needs is a real conversation, in plain language, between the people and the politicians. A conversation that shapes policy. Politics from the bottom up rather than top down. That's the kind of democracy I believe in. And so does Barack Obama.
Now back to America, where the battle over the stimulus bill makes it feel like politics as usual, at least for now.
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