EP 493 When Will Technology Be Applied to Government Administration?

In most states, the Department of Motor Vehicles is the poster child for government inefficiency.  New systems are touted and yet the lines and the bureaucracy often grind down the citizen interacting with it.  This is especially notable in a society where private companies know so much about us that the interaction with them is seamless and, at times, astonishing.  Order an item today and have it arrive that same day. It became obvious to us that government had a problem during the pandemic when there were basic challenges like tracking testing data, allowing residents to schedule vaccination appointments and getting cash assistance to individuals and businesses.  Some governments around the world are stepping up their technology game, but America has a way to go.  For that reason Tara Dawson McGuinness and Hana Schank, our guest, have written the book, ‘Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology’.  Let’s start with the premise that government is important to our daily lives and that since we only have one we should all be invested in making it better at delivering services.  That’s the essence of this podcast.

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