On September 1, 2009, Jennifer Pahlka formally founded Code for America (CFA). Over the ensuing decade, the organization has grown to be the largest non-profit in the United States devoted to improving how government uses technology. CFA currently claims 25,000 members in 85 Brigades across the United States, while internally,...
In just the last two weeks, newly elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has gained half a million new Twitter followers, zooming from 1.6M to 2.1M. On Instagram, another platform where she excels at sharing interesting glimpses of her life as an activist-turned-newly-successful-politician, Ocasio-Cortez now has 1.6M followers, putting her in...
The revolutionary potential of the internet means that we can do more than simply build a more beautiful user interface for antiquated government operations.
In a packed room at City Hall on Monday, Council Member James Vacca heard testimony from city officials, technologists, and civil rights advocates on his proposed legislation for transparency in the use of algorithms for city services. Vacca said that the legislation is, to the best of his knowledge, the...
Accessibility must be part of the conversation in civic tech and government digital services.
Recently a British civil servant named Paul Maltby tweeted a question that led to a flurry of helpful suggestions. He asked: “What would you put on a reading list for gov policy people eager to dig deeper on digital?” In that beautiful, typically internet-y way, it took only moments for...
The New York City government is looking into ways to enforce stricter data privacy laws in the mold of the recently-scrapped FCC rules governing how internet service providers collect, store, and sell user information. The move sets New York City up to become a sanctuary for citizens looking for a...
Last week I attended the annual Code for America Summit, where it was readily apparent that the community of people committed to the idea that technology can be built and deployed to serve the public interest is not only continuing to grow at a rapid pace, but is also beginning...
Some Brigade leaders believe that whoever is nominated to the new national advisory council will determine the future direction of the Brigade.