On a typical day, you can’t turn on the news without listening to someone saying that Congress is broken. The implication is that this disagreement explains why the institution is inert and insensitive to the American people.
An element in that discussion is often missing: Congress is confusing in much because its members cannot listen to the American people, even among themselves. I say it literally. Congress staff serves in thousands of district offices throughout the country, and its communications technology does not coincide with that of most companies and even many houses.
The members of the members only connected to Wi-Fi Internet service in 2023. The discussions between the members and the Congress staff were sometimes Cut up Because some government workers depended on the free version of Zoom, according to the testimony of the Congress in March 2024.
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The information systems used by Congress have greatly existed without changes for decades, while the world has experienced a revolution of information, integrating smartphones and the Internet into people’s personal and professional life of people. The technologies that have Modern life transformed and political campaign They are not yet available to improve the ability of Congress members to govern once they win the position.
Slow to adapt
Like many institutions, Congress resists change; Only the Covid-19 pandemic pushed it To allow online audiences and invoices presentations. Before 2020, the blackboards, the adhesive notes and the interpapers bangs dominated the corridors of the Congress.
Electronic signatures Capitol Hill arrived in 2021, more than two decades after Congress approved the Act of Esign To allow signatures and electronic records in trade.
The nation spends Around US $ 10 million a year On technological innovation in the House of Representatives, the institution that declares war and pays all the projects of the federal government. That is only 1% of the amount that theater fans have spent to see ‶Hamilton“On Broadway since 2015.
It seems that the history of American democracy is attractive to the public, but investing in making it work is less for Congress itself.
He Chief Administrative Office in CongressNon -legislative personnel who help manage Congress operations decide which types of technology can use members. These Internal rules They exist to protect Congress and national security, but that caution can also inhibit new ways to use technology to better serve the public.
Finding a happy environment between innovation and caution can result in a Most lively public speech.
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A modernization effort
Congress has been Working to modernize yourselfincluding experiment with new ways of listening to local voices in their districts, including Collecting constituent comments in standardized form That can be easily processed by computers.
The Chamber’s Natural Resources Committee was also one of the first to adopt technology for collaborative legislation. In 2020, the members and committee staff used a platform called Madison To write and edit in proposed collaboration Environmental Justice Legislation with communities from all over the country that had been affected by pollution.
House leaders are also looking at what is called Deliberative technologythat uses specially designed websites to Facilitate digital participation by Collective human intelligence pairing with artificial intelligence. People publish their ideas online and respond to the publications of others. So the systems can screen and summarize Publications for users better understand the perspectives of others.
These systems can even manage massive group discussions involving a large number of people who have a wide range of positions in VASTER SET OF PROBLEMS AND INTEREST. In general, these technologies facilitate that people Find consensus and have their voices heard by policy formulators so that policy formulators can understand and respond.
Governments in Finland, The United Kingdom, Canada and Brazil They are already piloting deliberative technologies. In Finland, approximately one third of young people between 12 and 17 years participate in establishing budgetary priorities for the Helsinki city.
In May 2024, 45 non -profit organizations based in the United States signed a Letter to Congress asking that Deliberative technology The platforms will be included in the tools approved for civic participation.
Meanwhile, Congress is watching Ways to use artificial intelligence as part of one more Integrated digital strategy Based on other lessons democratic legislatures.
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Find benefits
Modernization efforts They have opened connections within the Congress and with the public. For example, the audiences held by videoconference during the pandemic allowed witnesses to share the experience with Congress from distance and open a process that is notoriously little representative. I was at home in the rural area of New Mexico during the pandemic and meet three people who testified remotely Tribal education, methane pollution and environmental damage of abandoned oil wells.
New House rules Approved on January 3, 2025, it encourages the use of artificial intelligence in daily operations and allows the testimony of remote witnesses.
Other efforts that are new to Congress, but that have long been established in commercial and personal environments include the ability to track changes in legislation and a programming characteristic that reduces overlapping meetings. The members are regularly scheduled Be two places at the same time.
Another developing effort is a Internal Digital Personnel Directory that replaces Expensive directories compiled by private companies Gather contact information for Congress personnel.
The way ahead
In 2022, what is now called “Expenditure directed by members“He returned to Congress with some digital improvements. Previously known as “allocation brands”, this is the practice of allowing the members of Congress Specific Handipick projects in its origin districts to receive federal money. Brands were abolished in 2011 Abuse and opposition concerns by tax intransigent. Their 2022 return and brand change introduced Publicly available project listsrules of ethics and a Search engine to track Expenditure as efforts to provide public transparency on allocations.
Additional reforms The federal government could do even more receptive to the American people.
Some recent improvements are already familiar. Just as customers can follow their pizza delivery from the oven to the door, the Congress at the end of 2024 created a Flag tracking application dramatically improved A program That allows the components to receive a flag that has flown on the United States Capitol. Before, the different procedures in the camera and the Senate caused hooks that had been in this delivery system for a long time.
Finally, the most powerful legislature in the world reached Pizza Hut, who launched this technology in 2017 To track customer pizzas from the store to the delivery driver to their main door.
Lorelei KellyDirectorate of Research, Modernization of Congress, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
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