Government Technology

The book chronicles more than just technology’s potential; it also highlights what some local governments have already achieved with innovative approaches.

Berrios admitted that he was surprised at the number of fraudulent exemptions taken by people in Cook County. But he doesn’t believe the problem is over just because the county now has a system in place to catch people and recoup the money.

Increasingly, mayors and governors are on board with that, and the old ways of thinking about what a government agency can and can’t do don’t cut it anymore. Behn writes that Bratton used to tell mayors: "If you have a police chief who can’t get crime down, get yourself a new police chief."

How can state and local governments protect data and respond to sophisticated cyberattacks?

I live in the city, and I’m always asking myself, "Why, why, why?"

Imagine if your city could monitor the flow of pedestrians and optimize its traffic signals for walkers, not drivers? That’s exactly what Chicago is looking to do.

Converse County is the first local government in Wyoming to make this much information this accessible, and watchdog groups and local government advocates alike praised the county for its forward thinking.

Governments are realizing they have most of the information they need, but the data isn’t shared in all the places it’s needed.

Benefits of machine readable government data are ample, and include data-based business creation, cost reduction by efficiency, insights in health, civic apps and government accountability.

Data that doesn’t get utilized, that isn’t embraced, and that isn’t understood is not particularly helpful data. If we want to actually improve performance and use data to solve problems, we need partners who embrace it, rather than outsiders or supervisors imposing it.