Gov 2.0:

1
Gov 2.0 Online engagement or a neo-liberal
Trojan Horse? Dr Peter John Chen Department of
Government and International Relations,
University of Sydney peter.chen_at_sydney.edu.au
2
gt What is gov 2.0? gt ICT-facilitated democracy in
Australia gt Assumptions gt Implications gt Future
3
gt What is gov 2.0?
gtgt A disruptive technology gtgt Gov 2.0
taskforce gtgt NPM and the third way gtgt Our fertile
ground
4
gt What is gov 2.0?
gtgt A disruptive technology gtgt Gov 2.0 taskforce
a public policy shift to create a culture of
openness and transparency, where government is
willing to engage with and listen to its
citizens and to make available the vast national
resource of non-sensitive public sector
information (PSI). Government 2.0 empowers
citizens and public servants alike to directly
collaborate in their own governance by harnessing
the opportunities presented by technology. gtgt NPM
and the third way gtgt Our fertile ground
5
gt What is gov 2.0?
gtgt A disruptive technology gtgt Gov 2.0
taskforce gtgt NPM and the third way gtgt Our fertile
ground
6
gt ICT-facilitated democracy in Australia
gtgt Electronic and online service delivery gtgt
e-Democracy gtgt Programmatic approaches and risk
7
gt Assumptions
gtgt Rise of the public sphere gtgt Decline of the
public sphere gtgt Rise of the social gtgt
Marketplace of ideas
8
gt Implications
gtgt Citizenship gtgt Government as a platform gtgt
Transmission gtgt Emulation or subordination
9
gt Implications
gtgt Citizenship gtgt Government as a platform gtgt
Transmission ... every big winner has been a
platform company someone whose success has
enabled others, whove built on their work and
multiplied its impact. Microsoft put a PC on
every desk and in every home, the internet
connected those PCs, Google enabled a generation
of ad-supported startups, Apple turned the phone
market upside down by letting developers loose to
invent applications no phone company would ever
have thought of. In each case, the platform
provider raised the bar, and created
opportunities for others to exploit. gtgt
Emulation or subordination
10
gt Implications
gtgt Citizenship gtgt Government as a platform gtgt
Transmission gtgt Emulation or subordination
11
gt Future

• gtgt Capacities
• gtgt Pluralism
• gtgt Motivation

12
Gov 2.0 Online engagement or a neo-liberal
Trojan Horse? Dr Peter John Chen Department of
Government and International Relations,
University of Sydney peter.chen_at_sydney.edu.au