Courtesy of Miller & Smith

After his recent entry into the White House, President Barack Obama devised a plan for an open federal government. This “open government” will be more transparent, participative, and collaberative.

The new social media platform is a prime place to start building an “open government” because of the interactive nature of the internet. Not only can citizens interact with government agencies and officials via blogs and social networks, but citizens can interact with each other.

President Obama isn’t the only government official working for a more “open government” though. Local governments utilize social media forums to reach citizens as well. I recently met with Harrisonburg City Mayor, Kai Degner, to discuss his plans for the city. Degner believes listening to Harrisonburg residents is the most important aspect of his job as mayor. He discusses issues important to residents with them online and offline.

Degner writes a blog to discuss why he voted on a public issue or put a program in place the way he did. He’s explicit about his decisions and uses his own voice in the posts to connect with concerned residents. Degner told me face-to-face interactions are that much more rewarding after he’s begun a conversation with someone online.

In order for social media in government to succeed, agencies and officials need to be open and interactive. Due to the Public Information Act, government agencies have a responsibility to make government records available to the public. Most government agencies post information online, however, this isn’t enough to foster an “open government.”

In order for social media to contribute to a more open government, blogs, for example, need to be written by individuals in their own personal voices and readers need a space to comment on topics of interest. So many Americans distrust government because they feel information is hidden and they can’t be heard. To change the distrusting dynamic of this relationship, government agencies should make themselves transparent through social media forms and engage citizens in online conversations.

Below are a few examples of government blogs that post open, interesting information, and leave comment space to engage readers in conversation:

Greenversations

U.S. Air Force Live

Homeland Security Leadership Journal