1. User as Citizen 16 October 2006

2. I’m having a Joe Btfsplk Day (my cat ate my homework…)

3. Wednesday, you’ll get back  Midterm  Rewrite (email me. If you put it on blackboard, I didn’t get it)  Speakers and Movies (better late than not at all. Not a specific grade, but I am keeping track of late) Enabling Technology Gattaca Digital Divide  Translation: I want a clear conscience over break!

4. First Use of Computers in Gov’t  1890 Census 1880 census took 7 years Predicted 10 years for 1890  Use of punched cards already existed Jacquard loom for controlling weaving patterns (Joseph- Marie Jacquard, 1820) Used for storing instructions (Charles Babbage) Used for storing data (Herman Hollerith, 1889)  Single hole for numbers  Multiple holes for letters

5. Jacquard Loom The Loom The Cards How It Worked

6. Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine Each hole electrically connected to a counter If hole exists, pin pressed through the hole and made electrical contact with a metal plate (completed circuit) and advanced counter

7. Results  1890 Census completed in 6 weeks  Punched cards were the primary input device to computers for 80 years  Hollerith went on to found Tabulating Machine Company (1896), which became IBM in 1924

8. Punch Card Machine Punch cards stacked here Punched here

9. How to Get the Conversation Going  Organizations and web sites Deliberative Democracy e.thePeople  What works? Messages and media Involvement and empowerment

10. Bringing more people into the discussion  Blogs Technorati Over 16,000 political blogs listed  Both presidential candidates had blogs John Kerry  Kentucky conservative bloggers had a convention this year with 57 attendees  How hard is it to start a blog? Blogger, blogstream, ClearBlogs, livejournal, blogeasy,...

11. The Issues  What would make you more involved? More government information? Contact with government officials?  Why don’t more people vote? Disenfranchised? Time? Disillusionment?

12. Is there a digital divide?  Facts: Nearly 70% of Americans have access to the Internet 70% of those people access it daily Less than 10% access is less than once a week  Question: Is this good news or bad?

13. Demographic Differences  87% College degree vs. 48% high school degree  86% professionals vs. 58% blue collar  78% 18 – 34 years old vs. 43% over 65  70% Caucasian vs. 59% black  No gender difference

14. How is the Internet changing people’s information base?  How Americans Get in Touch w/Gov't (July 2003 Pew survey) How Americans Get in Touch w/Gov't  97 million adult Americans used e-gov in 2003 77% of Internet users web sites or emailing government officials  50% growth from 2002  Citizens still more likely contact government officials by telephone or in-person visits 54% of Americans contacted government 53% used traditional means

15. Is it increasing participation?  Effects of Net Use on Political Participation (2003 NSF report) Effects of Net Use on Political Participation  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) strategic plan (2010 safety strategy) web-based discussion in parallel to a traditional docket August 2000 – February 2001  100 contributors, 102 messages to docket.  516 messages to discussion board 116 contributors, 339 messages 177 messages contributed anonymously  130 additional individuals registered and monitored the discussion  6,750 visitors viewed and downloaded moth before comments due  Conclusion: Internet did expand the breadth of voices in the decision- making process

16. Do users seek both sides of the debate?  The Internet and Democratic Debate (October 2004 Pew Report) The Internet and Democratic Debate  Conclusion: Internet users are being exposed to both sides of the issue Also correlated with educational level, interest in the campaign and age  2004 presidential election Those with a preference for one candidate or the other were more likely to be aware of the different sides of the issue Of those with a preference  43% omnivores (know both)  29% selective reinforcers (know candidate they support)  21% tuned outs (know little)  8% contrarians (know candidate they oppose)

17. Did internet use make a difference in the 2004 presidential race?  Internet Impact on 2004 Election (March 2005 Pew report) Internet Impact on 2004 Election  The most successful campaigns relied on it to gain advantages over their competitors. Howard Dean  Broad Use 37% of adults and 61% of online Americans (75m) used the internet to get political  News consumers 18% -> 29%  Primary source 11% -> 18% Of Internet users  52% (63m) got news or information  39% (43m) discussed politics (though jokes were very high)  11% (13m) engaged directly  What will these numbers be in 2008?

18. And what about this year?  Seek news about midterm elections (September 2006 Pew report)Seek news about midterm elections  “On a typical day in August, 26 million Americans were using the internet for news or information about politics and the upcoming mid-term elections. That corresponds to 19% of adult internet users, or 13% of all Americans over the age of 18.”

19. Group Discussion (4-5 people)  “If you ran the zoo…”  How would you get more people involved, where involved includes Voting Speaking out Getting involved in local government  Each group is to identify 2 things that they would do and report out