See, the Internet really is changing everything

Interesting piece in Politico by Micah Sifry and Andrew Rasiej, recalling something they wrote four years ago in which they predicted the Howard Dean phenomenon that appeared to be a failure actually was the forerunner of profound changes in politics, changes that among much else have propelled a candidate like Barack Obama to the brink of nomination for the presidency by one of the nation's two major political parties.

Sifry and Rasiej offer some useful thoughts on what it all means:

"If there’s anything we’ve learned about the Internet and politics in these past four years, it is this:

"1. We’re in a gigantic transition from capital-intensive, broadcast-media-driven politics to something that has almost no barriers to entry, involves millions of people in helping to create messages, groups and campaigns, and is out of centralized control.

"2. Change is a constant, and as Yogi Berra once said, predictions are hard, especially about the future. Two years ago, no one had even heard of YouTube; now candidates announce their campaigns on that site.

"3. This isn’t a fad. Voter-generated activism, outside the control of the campaigns, has become a full-fledged political force. People who dismiss online politicking as 'the bar scene from ‘Star Wars' have no idea what they’re talking about."

Yes, yes and yes. Clay Shirky has an important new book out - "Here comes everybody" - about all this that folks across the political spectrum should be reading. Also worth reading in this regard is Glenn Reynolds' "An Army of Davids."

In thinking about these issues earlier this week, I was reminded of a column I wrote for Knight Ridder eight years ago in which I offered the following thoughts on how the Internet could transform the relationship between citizen and government:

"Vital as the FOIA is, the Internet presents new opportunities to advance the public’s right to know. So step two is applying this principle throughout government: Absent a compelling reason to the contrary, such as strictly defined national security considerations, individual privacy rights or law enforcement interests, all documents paid for with tax dollars should promptly be made public via the Internet.

"Federal departments and agencies signed more than 10,000 contracts last year worth nearly $200 billion, according to the Federal Procurement Data System. With those contracts, the government bought everything from good and bad advice to office furniture, paper clips and the zirconium used in nuclear reactors. Uncle Sam’s chief Internet web portal, FirstGov.gov, provides general information about these contracts but no texts or supporting documentation from the contractors.

"Why not post on the Internet the complete text and supporting documentation of all federal contracts, grant awards, memorandums of understanding and other legally binding agreements, subject only to the same exceptions that apply to the FOIA? Such transparency throughout the $1.8 trillion federal behemoth could go far in restoring public confidence in government."

Here we are in 2008 and significant parts of that vision are a reality, most significantly with the USASpending.gov web site that puts most federal spending within a few mouse clicks for anybody with Internet access.  A growing number of state and local governments are following suit, as documented by Americans for Tax Reform here.

All of these themes and more will be explored at great length June 23-24 at the Personal Democracy Forum,of which Sifry and Rasiej are major movers and shakers. It's been in years past almost exclusively a gathering of folks from the left side of the political spectrum but that is changing.

Among those on the Right who are scheduled to speak on various PDF panels for 2008 are Mary Katharine Ham and yours truly from The Washington Examiner. Mary Katharine is on a day one panel that will discuss the growth of online journalism, especially the "semi-pros" of the Blogosphere. I will be on a day two panel discussing the growth of the cross-partisanship movement online. Others from the Right include The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini, The Heritage Foundation's Rob Bluey and  NewsBusters' Matthew Sheffield.
 
The conference is in New York City and is open to all comers. Anybody who is interested in the Internet's impact on public policy, media and government will find attendance at PDF more than worthwhile - it will quite likely introduce you to a whole new world of possibilities.