User as Citizen 16 October 2006

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

Wednesday, you’ll get back  Midterm  Rewrite ( 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!

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

Jacquard Loom The Loom The Cards How It Worked

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

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

Punch Card Machine Punch cards stacked here Punched here

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

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,...

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

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?

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

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 % of Internet users web sites or ing 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

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

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)

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?

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.”

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