Smart Citizens, Smarter State : The Technologies of Expertise and the Future of Governing

Governments make too little use of the skills and experience of citizens. New tools--what Beth Simone Noveck calls technologies of expertise--are making it possible to match citizen expertise to the demand for it in government. She offers a vision of participatory democracy rooted not in voting or crowdsourcing but in people's knowledge and know-how Government "of the people, by the people, for the people" expresses an ideal that resonates in all democracies. Yet poll after poll reveals deep distrust of institutions that seem to have left "the people" out of the governing equation. Government bureaucracies that are supposed to solve critical problems on their own are a troublesome outgrowth of the professionalization of public life in the industrial age. They are especially ill-suited to confronting today's complex challenges. Offering a far-reaching program for innovation, Smart Citizens, Smarter State suggests that public decisionmaking could be more effective and legitimate if government were smarter--if our institutions knew how to use technology to leverage citizens' expertise. Just as individuals use only part of their brainpower to solve most problems, governing institutions make far too little use of the skills and experience of those inside and outside of government with scientific credentials, practical skills, and ground-level street smarts. New tools--what Beth Simone Noveck calls technologies of expertise--are making it possible to match the supply of citizen expertise to the demand for it in government. Drawing on a wide range of academic disciplines and practical examples from her work as an adviser to governments on institutional innovation, Noveck explores how to create more open and collaborative institutions. In so doing, she puts forward a profound new vision for participatory democracy rooted not in the paltry act of occasional voting or the serendipity of crowdsourcing but in people's knowledge and know-how. The Purpose Of Smarter State Is To Provide Both The Theory And A Practical Blueprint For Going Beyond Mere Transparency And Passive Citizenship To A World In Which Citizenship Is Active And Institutions Are Open By Default. Such Openness And Collaboration Are Essential If Democratic Societies Are To Meet The Challenges Of Today And Tomorrow--preface. From Open Government To Smarter Governance -- The Rise Of Professional Government -- The Limits Of Democratic Theory -- The Technologies Of Expertise -- Experimenting With Smarter Governance -- Why Smarter Governance May Be Illegal -- Bringing Smarter Governance To Life -- Smarter Citizenship -- Conclusion: The Daedalus Project. Beth Simone Noveck. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents Preface 1. From Open Government to Smarter Governance 2. The Rise of Professional Government 3. The Limits of Democratic Theory 4. The Technologies of Expertise 5. Experimenting with Smarter Governance 6. Why Smarter Governance May Be Illegal 7. Bringing Smarter Governance to Life 8. Smarter Citizenship Conclusion: The Daedalus Project Notes Acknowledgments Index