Obama's Transition Challenge

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The Transition ChallengeFrom Online Campaigning to Governing Online, and Back Again

Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D.

[email protected]

Twitter: @CAPAction and @DrDigipol

Facebook.com/AmericanProgressAction

Facebook.com/DrDigipol


Still it changes

• Across US, Europe, Australia, and Japan, 279.5 million people use email (August 2009)• Up 21% since August 2008

• 301.5 million use social networks (August 2009)• Up 31% since August 2008

• Email use may be on the rise, but it is falling further behind social networks everyday.


Not just more channels

• Explosion in use of social networks means constituents not only use more channels to communicate, but

• Many have shifted away from email altogether, and• Communication on social networks is a whole new

ballgame…


Dimensions of digital communication strategy

1-D 2-D 3-DInformation Action Community

One-way Communication

Two-way Communication

All-way Communication

Audience Interacts with Information

Audience Interacts with Campaign,

Organization, or Government

Audience Interacts with Each Other

Email Lists & Brochure Websites (Broadcast &

Narrowcast)

Transactional Websites (Information Exchange,

Donations, & Action)

Social Networks & Social Media (Grassroots &

Grasstops)


The audience has power


Obama then: campaign & transition• Campaign: Obama met power of audience & embraced it• Obama’s Facebook application• Obama’s loyal opposition: Get FISA Right• Obama’s iPhone application

• When Obama enters the White House, he faces unexpected challenges• Old computers that could not run social websotes and

applications• Old rules that barred use of and access to social web• Old culture that resisted change


Obama now: governing• Obama begins creating a transparent government• Data.gov and Recovery.gov pull back curtains • Many challenges remain

Department of Defense is a mess

Data does not tell the whole story• Obama connects the White House to the people• Digital townhalls and what the people want to ask• Mass collaboration on policy formation

• Obama keeps the campaign going, or tries to.• Obama for America becomes Organizing for America


Expect the unexpected – what’s next?

• Blogs were suppose to be personal online diaries• MeetUp was designed to support chihuahua clubs• Facebook was designed for socializing students• YouTube was a place for sharing fun videos• iPhone did not exist at beginning of 2008 campaign• Twitter was a tool to tell world about breakfast


Obama campaign tried everything

Here There and Everywhere


Challenges of transparent & connected government

• Making government transparent• Government data must be usable, useful, and used• Permanent citations for online government documents• Open standards• Story behind the data

• Connecting the government to the people• Townhalls – The people ask questions• Collaboration – The people help make policy• Ratification – The people set policy

• Advocating for policy• From inside government• From outside the government (parties, PACs, & interest groups)


The Transition ChallengeFrom Online Campaigning to Governing Online, and Back Again

Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D.

[email protected]

Twitter: @CAPAction and @DrDigipol

Facebook.com/AmericanProgressAction

Facebook.com/DrDigipol

Obama's Transition Challenge

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