Gov 2.0: Towards a User Generated State?

John Morison

ECEG 2010

17-18 June, Limerick, Ireland

Web 2.0 The new revolution in

information –Not new technology but new

end user focus

Three elements:1. User generated content (file

sharing not portals)

2. Enhanced creativity and increased interaction

(Social networking, ebay, Flickr, Skype, Amazon, RSS, Google / Stumble, YouTube

Open source, mashups, twitter, wikis, blogs, Facebook, etc, etc)

3. Qualitatively new levels of information

Free availability of public data

Re-use of “official” data

Government in partnership

More information

User-generated sites

Mash-ups – sharing data, Personalised government

More involvement

Partnerships with user-led communities using and re-using official information

The semantic web Linking and mapping information in new apps A significant move away from Government portals

simply pushing out information and enabling relatively simple transactions

Official Data (eg. The Places Database + Analytical Windows)

Places analytical windows http://www.places.communities.gov.uk/places  Floor Targets Interactive (FTI)  http://www.fti.communities.gov.uk/fti/ State of the Cities database http://www.socd.communities.gov.uk/socd Green Spaces – Community Maps: Digital and Social Geographies of Great Britain  http://www.gps.communities.gov.uk/communitymaps  Data4nr.net - Data for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration - http://www.data4nr.net/introduction/ Indices of Multiple Deprivation - http://www.imd.communities.gov.uk/

(June 2009) Google maps and parks + open spaces

register

Informal uses…

Web 2.0 Gov 2.0 The Power of information and Web 2.0

approaches to: re-invigorate electoral politics and build platform for

participatory politics re-engineer public services

Re-inventing the “state” and idea of the “public”

1. Improving democracy:Re-engagement with formal politics

Voter turn-out less than 60% Membership of political parties less than 25% of level in 1960sBut …60% express “an interest” in politics; 70% willing to sign a petition; 20%

have boycotted products …

Harness energy of Web 2.0-style social networking + shopping for participatory government

What is being done to develop democracy?

Democratic innovations

Central Government – citizen/consumer

Local Government – consumer/citizen

e-government – e-citizen/participant

Gimmicks .... and more ....

• On-line questioning of PM, e-zines, e-petitions• e-panels, e-juries etc• Sustainable Communities Acts 2007 and 2010 • Local Gov and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

“duty to involve”

Large Scale – e.g. Teeme ara! Minu Eesti

Small scale – e.g. collaborative community planning

Participatory Budgeting (and e-participatory budgeting)

Information to support priority decision-making

Local Authorities and neighbourhoods

ICT supported

£10 m since 2004

(2-3% annually)

e-consultations

UK example - Dangerous dogs

A controlled space for limited and

managed interaction?

Online versions of paper consultations

Added value from ICT?

Democratic sufficiency?

2. Public Services and the Modernisation of Government – a continuing

phenomenon a style of government aimed at

reinvigorating public services Introducing new concepts of

efficiencyincluding elements of private

sector efficiency, but without ceding control to the same extent as with earlier versions of privatisation

to ensure that the public sector will operate in a way that is “as efficient, dynamic and effective as anything in the private sector”

a philosophy of government as well as a means of government

Re-engineering Public Services

The Big Society..... ?

Public services and Citizens

The individualisation / personalisation of servicesThe construction of ideas of communities, consumers,

enterprising and prudential selves, Active, responsible, informed and engaged citizens

Gov 2.0 and services

“equipping people with far better, richer information “

“using new technology to foster dialogue about public services with citizens and civil servants”

User-focused, interactive

Personal budgets for health and social care

“a smarter, more strategic state”

Information-rich and transparent

Information for consumer style choice

Performance measured against the new set of 198 National Indicators

Citizen-led information for choice

Beyond the consumer state to the user-generated state?

The interactive state The active, consulted,

empowered citizen / consumer

control with user of services

• personalised• participatory• interactive • on demand• transparent

Government 2.0

How do we interpret this?

Who is the legal subject summoned up by these discourses?

- How different from the classical “man of law” as equal, rational, rights bearing, autonomous homo juridicus?

- How can these ideas of citizenship be contested?

What understanding of power, the state and democracy is being invoked to direct these strategies?

- Governmentality approaches (based on the writings of M. Foucault) give more complex view of the proliferation of governmental technologies and subjects

What is left of our idea of the “public”?- (public space, public interest, public service etc.)- How can counter publics emerge?

The choosing citizen /consumer

Public services replicating idea of choice from private sector of competing providers

But not only about “exiting the market” and punishing poor providers.

Passing control back to service users.

I.e. private law customer rights v. public law ideas of control in citizen-centred service

Individualised services( e.g. individual budgets for

health, not health budgets)….

The enhanced consumer

The (marginally) enhanced consumer

The failed consumer

The contributing citizen

University education

Health care + dentistry

Road use

The contributing citizen - surrendering rights

The watched and controlled citizen

The responsible citizen

Self-governing and prudent

Risk managing

Insured

The “consulted” citizen / consumer

“participatory de-politicisation”

How do we contest these ideas of citizenship?

Does interaction + user generation + information + participation = democracy?

The “new model citizen” v. the “defiant citizen”

Gov 2.0 requires Citizen 2.0

j.morison@qub.ac.uk