Monday, December 23, 2002

Move to Open Government Electronically. In the next year, the federal government will attempt to give the public easier online access to data and services. By Rebecca Fairley Raney. [New York Times: Business] "You can complain about government using technology for surveillance, but government can also use it to become more accountable," said Steven Clift, editor of the Democracies Online Newswire. The requirement to collect public comments online could bring changes to the cultures of regulatory agencies, which typically receive comments only from small groups of highly specialized lawyers who represent consumer groups and regulated corporations. "To have government be the host of this sort of deliberation is a significant step forward for e-democracy," Mr. Clift said. "It creates transparency around those attempting to politically influence rules and regulations," he said, noting that under the traditional system, "you don't know where your comments go, and you don't know how your comments compare to those of other people." 4:45:02 AM    comment []