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White House Creates Crowdsourcing Site
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” – the preamble of the Constitution of the United States.
And now “we the people” have something else.
This week, on Inside PR, Joe Thornley, Martin Waxman, and I talk about We the People, a new crowdsourcing site from the U.S. government.
Yes, you read that correctly. A new crowdsourcing site from the U.S. government.
It allows you to exercise your first Amendment right to petition the government directly. You share your petition on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, your blog, etc., and get other people to sign it. When 5,000 signatures are acquired (has to be within 30 days), White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.
I commend the President for supporting this cause.
When I ran for this office, I pledged to make government more open and accountable to its citizens. That’s what the new We the People feature on WhiteHouse.gov is all about – giving Americans a direct line to the White House on the issues and concerns that matter most to them.
We have a constitutional right to petition the government. Bringing that ability online will help increase the number of voices heard.
During Inside PR, Joe brings up a good point that the government can’t really have the public creating policy, which is completely understandable. Making it easier to petition our government using the web is very cool.
But I think this is bogus. This isn’t crowdsourcing, nor is it a direct line to the White House. Not if all we get is an official response when 5,000 or more signatures are collected on a cause we really believe in.
Perhaps, instead, they bring policy to us in the form of three different options…and let us vote. That is crowdsourcing in a way that doesn’t free up the government to the people, but also does more than get us an official response from the White House.
To be fair, they don’t use the word “crowdsourcing,” but it sure looks like sites we’ve become accustomed to using to submit our ideas. Sites such as Starbucks and HP use for ideas and innovation from their customers.
And they do say, “We’ll make sure that the petition is sent to the appropriate policy makers in the Administration.”
But that feels very much like they’ll pat you on the head and send you along your way. Thanks for sending us a petition, here’s our response, and we’ll make sure policy makers see what you have to say.
What do you think?
LOL sorry, i'm just laughing really hard at seeing "our current president" and "the US constitution" in the same place.
Thanks for sharing this :)
What's next? Joe Biden on MySpace?
ginidietrich I would absolutely friend Joe Biden. Of course, I'd have to join MySpace to do it. I think it would be worth it.
fitzternet Let's do it. I'll friend you there. Is that what it's called on MySpace?
I'd like to see it in action before I judge - it really does sound like "participate! oh, nice citizen, here's a biscuit! now, roll over!"
However. When it comes to government I have many sore spots, some of which have been addressed by technology, and from living in DC, as well as being an Independent, I am much too quick to snap to judgement on the tools provided, instead of attempting to use them to affect change - which occasionally works. If it sucks that badly, someone will start a petition to get someone to recognize that. That could lead to the type of bad press that affects a serious change.
Or it could turn out to be a great thing that gets the process moving, because people take it seriously and expect the government to as well. Maybe the something that exists now will be better than the nothing that was there before, or be a jumping off point to some other great thing. I'll wait a bit and see.
Tinu I agree with you - I want to see this in action. And I'm going to do it. I just need to figure out what it is we're going to petition and then I'll be coming to you for a signature.
Well said! You made me laugh! I would also have to see it in action before I can pass judgement. Tinu
This just sounds dumb. Has the White House gotten so lazy that they don't read the mail, email, tweets, Facebook posts and other messages people send them?
And who says 5,000 people is a magic number to support a good idea? It only takes one person to have an idea that changes the world.
JayDolan Or one dog too dumb to know otherwise :-)
JayDolan The 5,000 number is odd. I guess they're taking the petition thing too far.
I'm unimpressed. Seems like a desperate attempt to fulfill the promise of transparency without actually doing much of anything.
I've actually had great experiences contacting my state senator and assemblyman when I had a tough government-related problem. I received several calls and emails from staff members who were extremely helpful. Sometimes it's better to start at the local level to get real attention for ideas and challenges.
marianne.worley We have the right to do just as you say. And, at the local level, they HAVE to pay attention to us; it's their job. I do commend them for trying, but I'm unimpressed...like you.
Why do we need this? Don't we already know what needs the attention of our government? Hmm, maybe the economy and jobs creation? Maybe education, social security, and the healthcare system? With some pretty basic monitoring of social media, the White House should be able to figure out what people are talking about and what they want. For a simple example go to Trendsmap.com and type in "unemployment" or "recession" to see what people are talking about.
http://trendsmap.com/topic/unemployment
I hate to say it, but I have to agree with the comment about this just being an attempt to appear hip and engaged. Unfortunately they blew it with their mishandling of Obama's Twitter account.
mdyoder Economy and jobs creation? No! Yo can't be serious! :)
I'm going to experiment with this. I just need a topic people can rally around. Perhaps it's the recession. I need to think this through, but let's see how it works. Then we can bash it.
I don't buy it. I have a reach via Triberr that is approaching 750,000. If I got ten percent of those people to call/write a particular congressman I could drown his/her office with a particular message and guarantee that someone was really paying attention to me.
This feels like social engineering to me. It is like giving the 12 year-old son $20 bucks so that you can be alone with his mother. I don't like it.
I think that by making the threshold 5,000 signatures, you basically tell that one puppy barking out into his back yard that his idea ain't worth a damn unless he gets a bunch of others to bark with him. So much for telling our kids that one voice can change the world. I hear stuff like this and think "that's a nice way to tell us only the majority matters." Meh.
I agree that this is far from a perfect plan for transparency, but at least it's a baby step in the right direction. It is the Federal Government after all... and they don't make coffee or PCs, so it's going to take longer for them to catch up. In the mean time, it will be interesting to see how people campaign to win their 5,000 signatures in 30 days. Sounds like a good "True Life: I'm an online policy pusher" episode!
ashley_marion LOL on the True Life episode! You're right - they don't make PCs or coffee. And I do commend them for trying to use the social web in new and different ways. My only issue is "we'll issue an official response." Big whoop.
I feel that this sweeps under the rug the real issue surrounding transparency. President Obama promised to not conduct policy making sessions behind closed doors. He promised a new level of transparency that allowed U.S. citizens to see what is being considered and discussed by our Federal officials. Unfortunately, no real transparency has occurred. In fact, I think we have taken a step backwards over the last few years.
SoloBizCoach I can imagine how tough it must be to be our President. To campaign for your job, win it, and then get in there and realize how things REALLY work. There were a lot of things we were promised, but I don't think he realized how tough it was going to be, or what a mess he was walking into. So I don't begrudge him for not delivering. BUT. Giving us something he promised, in this way, seems like it's just trying to placate us.
I think this opens up a lot of room for politicians to push through policies that most people don't want under the guise of a "petition being filed by the people" ...not to be a conspiracy theorist or anything. :)
EugeneFarber LOL!! Let's write a movie script for it and see who will buy it. We could be famous!
ginidietrich Sounds like a plan! Same time at Sundance next year? :)
I love the idea of having a more direct line, but I agree with you that I'd like the ability to have a more direct influence as well. And I want Congress to see them, not just the administration.
Neicolec Maybe that's what they mean by "appropriate policy makers?" The thing that makes me think not is "in the Administration."
whatta joke.
that is all
faybiz So you, KenMueller JohnnyP and me need to create a petition and see what it does. That's the only way we'll really be able to tell whether or not it's a joke.
Great post Gini. America, wake the 'f up! In my opinion, it is our Obligation to peaceably petition our government. Any means necessary. I call my crazy, right-winged congressman on a weekly basis (I'm now on a first name basis with his admin. :-) I now have another Democratic tool to sound my ideas to the belt-way . This site might not be the perfect means to shape/affect policy, but I see this as another method that We The People can voice our opinions. ...at least it's more constructive than a call-in AM radio show.
JohnnyP What do you say when you call him?! You crack me up! And thanks for initially sending this to me. It made for great fodder for the podcast, too.
agreed. Anything that gives us more access to the powers that be is a good thing, but only IF they aren't just giving us lipservice. I have a strange feeling we'll be hearing a lot of "Hey, we gave you a chance! You should love us for it" in the weeks and months to come. Plus, the timing is interesting when an election is on the way and the President has really really bad numbers.
And just like everything else, this "new" access still seems to be layered with red tape and bureaucracy.
Having said that, I DO believe that social media and the web will eventually play a much larger role in the process of democracy and greater access to our government, and petitioning the government. But I think we're still a long way off from something that is even remotely effective.
KenMueller It really feels like a pat on the head with "you'll get an official response from us." So what's the response? A "we received your petition. Thank you!"?
I guess now we have to try it. What should we petition?
ginidietrich i was gonna suggest "Sharpies for Gini" but it has to be serious, and something that we can get behind. Something related to social media usage. or jobs. the economy. hmmm. Whatever it is, with our connections, we can certainly get 5000 "signatures' easily...
KenMueller You can't get behind Sharpies for Gini? I agree with you...we really should think about this and try it. If only to blog about the process.
KenMueller This looks like a lot of lip service.
If the White House made policy, this might be an interesting idea. However, policy lives and breathes in the Congress and Senate. So it seems like crowdsourcing the WH can be likened to a flash mob in an empty forest or one hand clapping (okay, bad analogies but you get my point). Let's stop trying to "wow" the masses with smoke and mirror tactics and actually get some "wow" done where it counts.
Liz Thank you for putting that much more eloquently than I did. What Liz said!
Great point Liz. I am all for open government, in fact it's a must. But this idea has so many political undertones to it that I don't think it will last at all.
It's a great idea I just doubt the effectiveness of the site. Since no one has enough friends or followers to actually effectively change any major decisions, except celebrities - and who wants to have them to influence government anyway!
I have to agree with jeffespo - the does look like an attempt to look cool or hip and appeal to the younger generation. I agree even more that perhaps the government should put more energy into jobs and the debt crises.
eezeerAndre It's our right to petition the government. And it's our right to get more than an official response. So I commend them for taking the ability to do so online. But I agree with you and Jeff - this seems like an attempt to stay cool by using the tools that do nothing more than pat us on the head.
Joe's point in the podcast, when I said this is BS, is that the government can't really have us creating policy. Which is fair...so why pretend then?
Nice read
jeffespo I think if they can take it a step further, it might be useful. But I agree in that it's a grasp on trying to use the tools to be hip. If I work my butt off to get 5,000 signatures in 30 days, you can darn well bet I want more than just a pat on the head and an official response.
Conversation from Twitter
danperezfilms re-follow me Dan! my account was temp deleted and i lost all my followers. i was in Miami last week...
nixthenext Thanks!
ginidietrich Look fwd to your post on the ConAgra "hidden camera" #PR stunt with bloggers http://t.co/rIRFTGL
hriefs Oh this is going to be good.
ginidietrich I'm certain! Separately, I'm moderating a panel next week. Have you written a post on 'best practices' for moderators? Thx!
hriefs I haven't written one, but that's a really good idea. When is the panel?
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