Making Good on the Mistakes of Digital Government

<p class="p1">Tara Dawson McGuinness, founder of the <a id= "enhancement-ca099261-59bd-11ee-b307-e9a1d2f39235" class= "rte2-style-brightspot-core-link-LinkRichTextElement" href= "https://www.newamerica.org/new-practice-lab/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">New Practice Lab</a> at the New America Foundation and co-author of the newly re-released book, <em class= "rte2-style-italic"><a id= "enhancement-ca099262-59bd-11ee-b307-e9a1d2f39235" class= "rte2-style-brightspot-core-link-LinkRichTextElement" href= "https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9780691216638/power-to-the-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology</a></em>, joined Paul Taylor, Noelle Knell and new permanent co-host Ashley Silver for a discussion of the state of our digital union.The discussion centers on the evolution of digital government, not merely as a technological shift but as a nuanced change in systems and problem-solving methodologies that prioritize citizens.</p> <p class="p1"><strong class="rte2-style-bold">Show Notes</strong></p> <p class="p1">The episode provides eight essential takeaways:</p> <ul class="rte2-style-ul"> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div">Tara Dawson McGuiness discusses the future of digital government, emphasizing it should be citizen-centered, rather than purely technological.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div">McGuiness has experience in the Obama White House and founded the New Practice Lab to foster cross-sector collaborations.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div">The pandemic highlighted the importance of implementation in government services, such as the vaccine rollout, making citizen experience a key focus.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div">McGuiness identifies a "renaissance" in local and state governments enabled by federal funding but notes challenges such as underinvestment and workforce retention.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div">Local governments are often more in touch with human-centered design due to their closeness to the communitie