Brookings Press Blog

Government goes ‘wiki’ in the 21st century

Beth Noveck, U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer, launches discussion on emergent online democracy

In an event hosted by the Markle Foundation, Beth Simone Noveck, author of Wiki Government: How Technology Can Make Government Better, Democracy Stronger, and Citizens More Powerful, led a 50-plus person discussion in New York City while the rest of the world connected via satellite to the MacArthur Island conference amphitheater in Second Life. This could very much be the model for modern government in the near future. Noveck, who is the Obama administration’s deputy Chief Technology Officer for the Open Government initiative, led a 30-minute discussion on ways the public can use emerging technologies and social media to govern, address, and solve problems more effectively. With the rise of multimedia networks such as YouTube, Twitter, and even blogs, Noveck believes that government can also tap into the emerging resource that connects the government to more citizens and broadens the prospects of open government.

In a visionary, yet pragmatic way, Wiki Government explains how the vision of a true democratic government can be transformed into reality and reveals the ways an innovative government can tackle the needs and opportunities of the 21st century.

- Learn more about Wiki Government

- Read articles on the event from the Markle Foundation and Second Life

Will Pakistan cave in?

Bruce Riedel investigates the historical and current frameworks of the jihadist movement in Pakistan

National Interest editor, Justine Rosenthal, interviews Bruce Riedel

Who knows what the future may hold? As Pakistan breeds instability within many socio-political dimensions, a jihadist takeover of the nation might sprout the most fatal threat to security in the Middle East and for the United States. Bruce Riedel examines the possibility of the invasion of the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other terrorist factions in one of the Middle East’s most vulnerable states. In a National Interest article, Riedel traces the history of the Pakistani dilemma and links it to current developments.

Will Pakistan be the beginning of the end of terrorism in the Middle East? In his insightful analysis, Riedel says, “Pakistan is a complex and combustible society undergoing a severe crisis. America helped create that crisis over a long period of time. If we don’t help Pakistan now, we may have to deal with a jihadist Pakistan later. That should focus our attention.”

- Learn more about Riedel's latest book book, The Search for al Qaeda

- Read “Armageddon in Islamabad” by Bruce Riedel in National Interest

- Watch National Interest editor, Justine Rosenthal, interview Riedel

HOPE VI and the New Promise of Public Housing in America’s Cities

Book launch hosted by current HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and former secretary Henry Cisneros

Among lessons learned, HOPE VI has taught us that replacing public housing with vouchers isn't always the best option for displaced families. “Many of them ended up in new ghettos of Section 8 because they took the path of least resistance and because landlords were unscrupulous and piled people on top of each other to get the money,” said Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President Bill Clinton. “In some cases we didn’t improve people’s lives as we could have done,” he added. Today, current HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan faces many of the same challenges.

On July 14, the current and former HUD secretaries teamed together to host a discussion on the next steps for urban revitalization and opportunity. Secretary Donovan announced new funding for the current HOPE VI program and outlined the future of Choice Neighborhoods.

In the new book From Despair to Hope: Hope VI and the New Promise of Public Housing in America’s Cities, Cisneros and co-editor Lora Engdahl document the evolution of HOPE VI, one of the most ambitious urban redevelopment initiatives yet. The authors also chronicle the major federal effort to replace desolate public housing with mixed-income communities, and discuss the lessons learned.

- Learn more about the book, From Despair to Hope

- Read articles on the event from CQ Politics and Next American City

What do you know about Al-Qaeda?

Bruce Riedel’s Search for al-Qaeda receives critical acclaim

In The Search for al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future, Middle East expert and former CIA officer Bruce Riedel argues that the past Administration was mistaken to declare a “war on terror” rather than a war against al Qaeda. In the book, he reviews how al Qaeda was created and developed, presenting authoritative and chilling background on "The Manhattan Raid," and focuses closely on what has happened to the movement since 9/11. He outlines al Qaeda’s ultimate goals and with a comprehensive analysis, reveals the origins, leadership, ideology, and strategy of the terrorist network. The book ends with innovative recommendations on how this movement can be stopped.

Critics maintain that The Search for al Qaeda “promotes, and provokes, fresh thinking and polemics.” Even in that sense alone, it is a valuable contribution to the public debate. Amir Taheri of AlSharq AlAwsat adds, “With the Obama administration apparently adopting Riedel’s analysis, we should soon know whether these recommendations would produce the desired effects.”

If the first rule of war is to "know your enemy," then we have a long way to go in winning this war against terror. As Riedel advises, it begins with the search for al Qaeda.

Bruce Riedel was a senior advisor to three U.S. presidents on Middle East and South Asian issues. He is currently a senior fellow with Brookings' Saban Center for Middle East Policy. At the request of President Obama, he chaired an interagency review of policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan for the White House that was completed in March 2009.

- Begin your Search for Al-Qaeda

- Read reviews of The Search for al Qaeda by Amir Taheri of AlSharq AlAwsat and by Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times

How the Kashmir Dispute Affects Security in South Asia

Author Howard B. Schaffer reveals the limits of American influence in the Kashmir region

The escalating dispute in the Kashmir region proves a threat to security in South-Asia and to the United States. In an interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, former ambassador to Bangladesh and author of The Limits of Influence: America's Role in Kashmir, Howard Shaffer discloses the growing dangers of the conflict between India and Pakistan, warning that the dispute may instigate the emergence of a potential nuclear war. He urges independent settlement in both areas to promote India-Pakistan relations.

As for Washington’s influence, Schaffer states, "If Washington does find a propitious opportunity to play a more active role, the settlement it promotes should call for making the Line of Control a permanent border that is porous; autonomy for Kashmiris on both sides; and joint institutions on an all-Kashmir basis."

Howard B. Schaffer has spent thirty-six years as an officer of the U.S Foreign Service, through which he was appointed ambassador to Bangladesh. Ambassador Schaffer currently teaches and writes at Georgetown University and widely recognized as a leading American specialist on South Asia. He is the author of highly regarded biographies of two American diplomats who served as ambassadors to India at times when Washington was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute. They were published as Chester Bowles: New Dealer in the Cold War (Harvard University Press, 1993) and Ellsworth Bunker: Global Troubleshooter, Vietnam Hawk (University of North Carolina Press, 2003). Schaffer is also the author of many articles on South Asian matters.

- Learn more about The Limits of Influence

- Read the complete interview with the Council on Foreign Relations

Steven Kelman and Henry J. Aaron: Authors in the News

In the realm of research, Washington Post writer Joe Davidson asserted that many studies on how to improve the federal government “plow the same ground and can be as dull as a worn rug.” However, in the July 8 article “Leaders Who Succeeded – And Those Who Didn’t”, Davidson cites one recent study led by Steven Kelman, author of Unleashing Change: A Study of Organizational Renewal in Government for its innovation. The study, titled “What It Takes to Change Government” [pdf], breaks new ground by examining failed, rather than successful, government leaders. Kelman and others found that failed politicians “spent too much time hobnobbing with other bigwigs and not enough time with people on the shop or office floor,” according to Davidson.

On the same day, the Washington Post published an article titled “In Retooled Health-Care System, Who Will Say No?” regarding the ever-evolving health care debate. One of the largest questions looming seems to be, as staff writer Alec Gillis puts it, “In a country where ‘rationing’ is a dirty word, who will say no?” In his study of the issue, Gillis turned to Henry J. Aaron, co-author of Can We Say No? The Challenge of Rationing Health Care. According to Gillis, Aaron said that “real cost reform would mean giving all physicians incentives to leave behind the fee-for-service model for accountable care networks,” a transition that could take some time. Asserting the reality of the situation, Aaron claimed, “We're just not going to be able to all have everything . . . regardless of cost.”

- Learn more about Unleashing Change

- Read Joe Davidson’s article “Leaders Who Succeeded – And Those Who Didn’t”

- Read "What It Takes to Change Government," the report co-authored by Steven Kelman [pdf]

- Learn more about Can We Say No?

- Read Alex Gillis’ article “In Retooled Health-Care System, Who Will Say No?”

Beth Noveck interviewed on government transparency

Author discusses transparency as means of driving innovation with Government Technology

With the White House blog publishing new posts nearly every day and the accompanying Twitter feed boasting more than 670,000 followers, it seems that the “open government initiative” may be succeeding. In a July 6 interview with Steve Towns, editor of the news collective Government Technology, Beth Noveck discussed local, state, and federal governments’ current transparency efforts in a digital age. Noveck, author of Wiki Government: How Technology Can Make Government Better, Democracy Stronger, and Citizens More Powerful, cited the blog and Twitter feed for the Office of Science and Technology Policy as one example of the successful integration of technology and government issues. On the simplicity and ease with which governments can utilize technology, Noveck had the following to say:

“Many of these tools are cheap. They're free. They're easy to maintain. It's just a matter of being ready and willing to put a toe in the water and say, ‘We're going to try this, and we're going to see what works for us and really try to adapt new innovations.’”

- Learn more about Wiki Government

- Read and watch the full interview with Beth Noveck

'When Mayors Take Charge' editor discusses the NYC school system

Joseph Viteritti on the success and room for improvement of mayoral control over public schools

The ideas espoused within editor Joseph Viteritti’s When Mayors Take Charge: School Governance in the City offers an innovative solution to the problem of public school governance. The Teachers College Record, a journal of analysis and research published by Columbia University’s Teachers College, recently produced a video in which Viteritti went into greater detail about the claims found within the book. According to Viteritti, the advent of mayoral control over public schools has begun to gain popularity, but many cities must now judge whether those who have already taken the step have proven successful. Using New York’s public school system as a case study, Viteritti outlines in the video the findings of a study conducted in preparation for the state legislature’s June decision to either renew or eliminate the 2002 law that handed the city’s schools over to its mayor. Viteritti’s conclusions show that mayoral control, while effective, does require certain checks and balances on the mayor’s power and increased accountability between the mayor, schools, and citizens.

Joseph Viteritti is currently Blanche D. Blank Professor of Public Policy at Hunter College, CUNY and chairman of the Department of Public Affairs.

- Learn more about When Mayors Take Charge

What will America do without skilled workers?

The People Factor cited in the Federal Times

“A survey of federal agencies commissioned by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, discovered that between 1997 and 2000, federal agencies spent about 1.9 percent of their financial payroll on training, while the private sector spends 4 percent and leading organizations even more,” stated a recent article in the Federal Times. With the economic slowdown, there is heightened need for skilled workers in the United States, but with the continuous downsizing of even the wealthiest firms, companies are tempted to downsize their human resources also. But is this truly possible? What repercussions await a great country with workers of little skill? The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service, by former Commerce Department Assistant Secretary Linda Bilmes and W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, addresses the issue.

So what can America do to increase its number of skilled workers? The People Factor argues that the country cannot prosper without a strong, highly functioning federal work force to manage the government. Bilmes and Gould call for a $10 billion investment to improve recruiting, better training and enhanced management of the federal workforce predicting that the investment will yield $300-$600 billion in productivity gains.

In an age where human resources remain the most important factor for global growth, The People Factor urges the nation to invest in its greatest resource—public service.

- Get more information on The People Factor

- Learn about America’s “people factor” in the full article by Tim Kauffman of the Federal Times

A look into Africa: Robert Rothberg discusses governance and leadership

The principles of global governance, and what it means for the rest of us

In an interview with The Africa Group [pdf], Robert Rotberg underscores the importance of engaging developing regions such as Botswana, Ethiopia and Nigeria in the rising value of principles in the world order. Rotberg discusses the transformation of Africa and China, stating, “China will continue to have a profound influence in the development of Africa. Africa, however, needs to develop a multilateral, collective response to China’s involvement.” He adds that though Africa is not immune to the current global meltdown, there are still good opportunities in some sectors for African development. What this means is economic growth for Africa and for better relations between Africa and the rest of the world. But as China submerges itself into the African government, there is a chance that this evolving symbiosis will make Africa the poorest and most troubled continent, while it further powers China’s expansive economic machine.

In the book China into Africa: Trade, Aid, and Influence, Rotberg and a team of renowned scholars tackle China’s interest in African oil, military and security relations, the influx and goals of Chinese aid to sub-Saharan Africa, human rights issues, and China’s overall strategy toward Africa. They outline Africa’s chance for poverty alleviation in the developing regions through a system that promises to do more than anything attempted by Western colonialism or international aid programs.

Rotberg further addresses the issue in his latest book, Corruption, Global Security, and World Order. In collaboration with a distinguished group of contributors, he discusses the global ramifications and implications of deeply embedded corruption in various nations.

Robert I. Rotberg is director of the Program on Intrastate Conflict, Conflict Prevention, and Conflict Resolution at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and president of the World Peace Foundation. Rotberg has authored and edited numerous books, on Africa and global governance including Worst of the Worst: Dealing with Repressive and Rogue Nations (Brookings & World Peace Foundation, 2007) and Ending Autocracy, Enabling Democracy: the Tribulations of Southern Africa 1960-2000 (World Peace Foundation, 2001).

- Learn more about China into Africa

- Learn more about Corruption, Global Security, and World Order

- Read the full interview with Mamao Mihretu of The Africa Group [pdf]