Thousands of South Africans join GovChat

The mayor’s office in Canton, Ohio recently implemented SeeClickFix, an app that allows local residents to share pictures of problems they see, such as potholes and abandoned cars. The complaints get added to a list for City Hall to address. This app is empowering residents to play a role in improving their own neighborhood, and the app has been a cost-effective way to create change in cities across Ohio and even around the globe.

Chatbots don’t sleep. They can respond to citizen inquiries 24 hours a day. From North Charleston to Singapore, automated conversation platforms are improving the connection between governments and the people they serve by providing an easy channel for information exchange and public consultation.

Boston had a hard time solving civic problems efficiently and holding its leadership accountable. In response, a team in the Mayor's office was charged with "making Boston better through clever, low-cost hacks" such as a mobile app that allows residents to send government service requests to City Hall.

Estonia's e-governance system allows citizens to register for social programs, access health records, and complete most government business digitally. In March 2023, more than half of the country's voters cast their ballots via the internet for the first time.

Apps are providing vital services when the South African government is unable to do so. From informing citizens of power cuts to filling in potholes and seeking mental health, these citizen-build resources are addressing community issues and even creating employment opportunities.

When courthouses and in-person government meetings shut down because of COVID-19, officials satisfied Kansas’ open meeting mandate by using pandemic relief aid to equip buildings with the technology needed to live stream proceedings and allow constituents to comment remotely. Crowds watching on platforms like Facebook Live were substantially higher than in-person attendance had ever been. Several cities linked agendas online and found creative ways to include public comments in meetings. Advocates are looking to maintain the public’s increased civic engagement as courts and government offices are reopening.

City websites have embraced technology, allowing residents to pay bills, request permits, and attend council or commission meetings online. The shift, which was accelerated by the pandemic, also made the websites crucial information hubs, informing residents about everything from tax increases to street closings. The shift increased efficiency, for example decreasing in-person visits to City Hall, reporting problems like potholes any time, and officials are fielding fewer calls because information is readily accessible. Conducting business online also led to greater transparency into city business.

vTaiwan is a mixed-reality, scaled listening exercise used by the government as a new way to make decisions. The platform provides an online space for citizens to debate and for politicians to listen to. The government lays out political questions, such as regulating Uber or changing time zones, and people can share their feelings, agree and disagree, but divisive statements and trolling are not posted. After debating for a period of time it became apparent that people converged around points of consensus. The government has implemented about a dozen laws and regulations based on the discussions.

In South Korea, the government is using smartphone technology, including various independent apps and text messaging, to implement contact tracing. This has enabled the country's economy to avoid a full shutdown. Early results comparing South Korea to other countries shows that this digital strategy is just as successful as implementing complete lockdowns.

Geofencing, a smartphone technology typically associated with retail marketing, offers an innovative way to educate and register voters. In order to help mobilize voters in the face of shrinking turnout, the Mississippi nonprofit, Mississippi Votes, has implemented digital tools such as geofencing in its campaign. The initiative is part of the organization’s larger mission to create a culture of civic engagement.