The White House recently started a site called challenge.gov that will give readers, contributors and other citizens a voice that they may not have had if it were not for updated technology. The purpose of the site is to get the public's help on tough problems that the government is having problems solving.
This is a very unique approach. From a political standpoint, it allows constituents to directly (for the most part) contact their politicians on issues that affect them. Not only can they voice their opinions and say that they would like something to be done, but they can actually give possible solutions to the problems as well. In this way, it is very in tune with the advancement of technology. In my opinion, it will work as a wiki site. Not necessarily for all Americans, but for politicians and the engineers working on particular problems. The pool of possible solutions will be looked at and discussed before arriving at a decision.
This is a social networking aspect that will enhance the political structure of the American system, giving the people more of a voice, something that most Americans want. Also, it will continue to make the U.S. a smaller country in terms of differences each area possesses. By this I mean there is a lot of unfamiliarity between the south and the west coast, and the northeast and the midwest for instance.
This site also allows people to post pictures of landmarks and interesting points in their areas. This allows people to experience what other parts of the country experience and bring us closer together as a country.
The most important aspect of this site, in my opinion is the rapid feedback the government will get from its people, and the possible return of information from the government back to site users. This will be the first major technological advance that will allow what is for the most part one-on-one communication with government officials.
http://www.cio.com/article/610317/White_House_Launches_Site_Asking_for_Citizen_Help?source=rss_news
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