Michelle Gamble-Risley - December 2002
Center for Digital Government
Excerpt from Interview : Todd SanderChief Information Officer, City of Tucson Arizona
CDG: What are some sleeper issues in your city?
Sander: I think one of the things we're going to have to deal with is the notion of trust between government and its constituents. If we're willing to engage people in these community conversations whether they're local, state or federal, there has to be some understanding of what that means. There has to be a belief that these [engagements] are legitimate; people will be heard; their information or opinions will be dealt with judiciously. In some respects, people just don't tend to trust government -- and the more sophisticated we get with our tools and our processes, the more difficult it will be for people to trust unless we're more thoughtful about the kinds of protections we put in place. It's about personal information, and appropriate dissemination and access to public records, which has certainly become more of an issue since September 11. There was a big rush to just make government completely visible. Everything we had we were looking at trying to figure out how to put the information out on the Internet -- in retrospect that probably doesn't make that make sense. People do need to have some information about government to understand why decision are made and hold government officials accountable; but they don't necessarily need unfettered access to plans for city halls, legislative offices, sewer systems, telecommunications, etc. So, I think maybe the issue that we in government need to think about is what the appropriate relationship is between available information and what should only be available under special circumstances.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Excerpts from Essay on Trust in Digital Government
Trust in digital government:
"Trust in digital government"
Neil C. Rowe
Cebrowski Institute
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943 USA
(This is a chapter in the Encyclopedia of Digital Government, ed. A.-V. Anttiroiko & M. Malkia, Hershey, PA, USA: The Idea Group, 2006.)
Introduction: The concept of trust in organizations has been an important area of recent research in sociology and management science (Sztompka, 1999). Trust is positive expectations of positive actions by others, and is important to well-functioning organizations of all sorts. Trust facilitates the effectiveness of government. A focus on trust leads to a more humanistic view of individuals within organizations than that of the traditional managerial psychology of humans solely as input-output devices whose performance must be monitored and measured. New technology changes the form of government operations. So it is natural to ask how trust is affected by the advent of the technologies and practices of digital government, as it is affected by online security practices (Friedman, Kahn, & Howe, 2000). On the one hand, digital government should be more efficient government, and people trust more in well-run, efficient processes. On the other hand, digital government could enable governments to evade responsibility for their actions by imposing new barriers to citizens, restricting access to information more, falsifying information more easily, and providing a new set of excuses for inefficiency. Some extremists (Postman, 1993) claim that most technology cannot be trusted, but few people agree. So the issue needs to be examined at length."
"Trust in digital government"
Neil C. Rowe
Cebrowski Institute
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943 USA
(This is a chapter in the Encyclopedia of Digital Government, ed. A.-V. Anttiroiko & M. Malkia, Hershey, PA, USA: The Idea Group, 2006.)
Introduction: The concept of trust in organizations has been an important area of recent research in sociology and management science (Sztompka, 1999). Trust is positive expectations of positive actions by others, and is important to well-functioning organizations of all sorts. Trust facilitates the effectiveness of government. A focus on trust leads to a more humanistic view of individuals within organizations than that of the traditional managerial psychology of humans solely as input-output devices whose performance must be monitored and measured. New technology changes the form of government operations. So it is natural to ask how trust is affected by the advent of the technologies and practices of digital government, as it is affected by online security practices (Friedman, Kahn, & Howe, 2000). On the one hand, digital government should be more efficient government, and people trust more in well-run, efficient processes. On the other hand, digital government could enable governments to evade responsibility for their actions by imposing new barriers to citizens, restricting access to information more, falsifying information more easily, and providing a new set of excuses for inefficiency. Some extremists (Postman, 1993) claim that most technology cannot be trusted, but few people agree. So the issue needs to be examined at length."
Gallup: Low Trust in Federal Government Rivals Watergate Era Levels
Annual Gallup Survey Results - Trust in Government
Low Trust in Federal Government Rivals Watergate Era Levels:
"September 26, 2007 Low Trust in Federal Government Rivals Watergate Era Levels Trust in state, local governments holding steady by Jeffrey M. Jones GALLUP NEWS SERVICE PRINCETON, NJ -- A high degree of public trust in elected leaders is one of the basic underpinnings of representative government. Gallup's annual Governance survey shows that trust in the federal government has continued to decrease this year after showing noticeable signs of decline the past two years. Now, Americans generally express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade, and trust in many federal government institutions is now lower than it was during the Watergate era, generally recognized as the low point in American history for trust in government."...
http://www.galluppoll.com/content/default.aspx?ci=28795 retrieved Oct. 12, 2007 by JMS
Low Trust in Federal Government Rivals Watergate Era Levels:
"September 26, 2007 Low Trust in Federal Government Rivals Watergate Era Levels Trust in state, local governments holding steady by Jeffrey M. Jones GALLUP NEWS SERVICE PRINCETON, NJ -- A high degree of public trust in elected leaders is one of the basic underpinnings of representative government. Gallup's annual Governance survey shows that trust in the federal government has continued to decrease this year after showing noticeable signs of decline the past two years. Now, Americans generally express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade, and trust in many federal government institutions is now lower than it was during the Watergate era, generally recognized as the low point in American history for trust in government."...
http://www.galluppoll.com/content/default.aspx?ci=28795 retrieved Oct. 12, 2007 by JMS
GALLUP: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low -- Even Less Than in Watergate Era
From Editor and Publisher: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003647275 retrieved Oct. 14, 2007 by JMS.
GALLUP: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low -- Even Less Than in Watergate Era:
"GALLUP: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low -- Even Less Than in Watergate Era By E&P Staff Published: September 27, 2007 10:30 AM ET NEW YORK A new Gallup poll reveals that, as the organization puts it, Americans now 'express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade, and trust in many federal government institutions is now lower than it was during the Watergate era, generally recognized as the low point in American history for trust in government.' "
Among the findings: Barely half trust the government to handle international problems, the lowest number ever. And less than half express faith in the government handling domestic issues, the lowest findings since 1976. Faith in the executive branch has fallen to 43% -- only 3% higher than it was just before President Nixon's resignation in 1974. At the same time, trust in Congress, at 50%, is its lowest ever.Gallup has asked about trust in government since 1972. It conducted this year's poll Sept. 14-16 and found the following: -- Barely half of Americans, 51%, say they have a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in the federal government to handle international problems. -- Less than half of Americans, 47%, now have at least a fair amount of trust in the federal government to handle domestic problems. Gallup adds: "The candidates running for president in 2008 will be trying to win over a skeptical public. Just 55% of Americans express trust in the 'men and women in political life in this country who either hold or are running for public office.' That matches the low Gallup found in 2001."Americans are even losing faith -- in themselves. Currently, 70% of Americans trust the public's ability to perform its role in a democratic government, which is down from 78% two years ago when it was last asked, and significantly lower than any other reading Gallup has taken."The poll indicates that the lack of trust seems to be directed primarily at the federal government," Gallup concludes. "There has been no observable decline of public trust in state and local governments. Sixty-seven percent of Americans now express trust in their state government, matching the levels of 2004 and 2005. Sixty-nine percent also trust their local government, similar to what Gallup has found since 2001."
GALLUP: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low -- Even Less Than in Watergate Era:
"GALLUP: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low -- Even Less Than in Watergate Era By E&P Staff Published: September 27, 2007 10:30 AM ET NEW YORK A new Gallup poll reveals that, as the organization puts it, Americans now 'express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade, and trust in many federal government institutions is now lower than it was during the Watergate era, generally recognized as the low point in American history for trust in government.' "
Among the findings: Barely half trust the government to handle international problems, the lowest number ever. And less than half express faith in the government handling domestic issues, the lowest findings since 1976. Faith in the executive branch has fallen to 43% -- only 3% higher than it was just before President Nixon's resignation in 1974. At the same time, trust in Congress, at 50%, is its lowest ever.Gallup has asked about trust in government since 1972. It conducted this year's poll Sept. 14-16 and found the following: -- Barely half of Americans, 51%, say they have a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in the federal government to handle international problems. -- Less than half of Americans, 47%, now have at least a fair amount of trust in the federal government to handle domestic problems. Gallup adds: "The candidates running for president in 2008 will be trying to win over a skeptical public. Just 55% of Americans express trust in the 'men and women in political life in this country who either hold or are running for public office.' That matches the low Gallup found in 2001."Americans are even losing faith -- in themselves. Currently, 70% of Americans trust the public's ability to perform its role in a democratic government, which is down from 78% two years ago when it was last asked, and significantly lower than any other reading Gallup has taken."The poll indicates that the lack of trust seems to be directed primarily at the federal government," Gallup concludes. "There has been no observable decline of public trust in state and local governments. Sixty-seven percent of Americans now express trust in their state government, matching the levels of 2004 and 2005. Sixty-nine percent also trust their local government, similar to what Gallup has found since 2001."
Trust in Government
Trust in Government: "The Origins of Civic Mistrust" - A set of resources brought to you by the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington
"Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital," by Robert D. Putnam, Journal of Democracy 6:1, January 1995
"Reclaiming Confidence in Government: Can this Relationship be Saved?" by Beverly Stein at the Portland City Club, January 12, 1996
"Why Civil Society? Why Now?" by E.J.Dionne, Jr., The Brookings Review, Fall 1997 Vol. 15 No.4
"America's Civic Condition: A Glance at the Evidence," by William A. Galston and Peter Levine, The Brookings Review, Fall 1997 Vol. 15 No.4
"Why Don't Americans Trust The Government?", The Washington Post / Kaiser Family Foundation / Harvard University Survey Project 1996
"Attitudes Towards Government" () NPR-Kaiser-Kennedy School Poll, May-June 2000.
"Americans Distrust Government, but Want It to Do More: NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll Points to Paradox" Summary of "Attitudes Towards Government" NPR-Kaiser-Kennedy School Poll, May-June 2000" () from Morning Edition, July 28, 2000.
"Reconnecting Government to the People", () by Mayor Norman Rice, City of Seattle, from City News, 1996
"Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital," by Robert D. Putnam, Journal of Democracy 6:1, January 1995
"Reclaiming Confidence in Government: Can this Relationship be Saved?" by Beverly Stein at the Portland City Club, January 12, 1996
"Why Civil Society? Why Now?" by E.J.Dionne, Jr., The Brookings Review, Fall 1997 Vol. 15 No.4
"America's Civic Condition: A Glance at the Evidence," by William A. Galston and Peter Levine, The Brookings Review, Fall 1997 Vol. 15 No.4
"Why Don't Americans Trust The Government?", The Washington Post / Kaiser Family Foundation / Harvard University Survey Project 1996
"Attitudes Towards Government" () NPR-Kaiser-Kennedy School Poll, May-June 2000.
"Americans Distrust Government, but Want It to Do More: NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll Points to Paradox" Summary of "Attitudes Towards Government" NPR-Kaiser-Kennedy School Poll, May-June 2000" () from Morning Edition, July 28, 2000.
"Reconnecting Government to the People", () by Mayor Norman Rice, City of Seattle, from City News, 1996
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