Most of the American political debate centers on the two major parties – Democrats and Republicans. Today, most Americans are fed up with politicians and would like to eliminate political parties altogether, but it would never work. Aristotle noted that humans are political animals and will always form associations based on common beliefs and experiences.Read… Read more »
Like it or not, government is a big presence in the United States. The considerable number of bureaus, departments, and offices has always made it difficult for citizens to find their way around. And then the Internet arrived. Today, the United States government has just about the largest internet presence on earth. And it’s allRead… Read more »
Last week the embassy of Israel in Paris, France, hosted an international workshop on the digital diplomacy. It was first such experience for us in the Israeli embassy, but what I learnt from our guests during the workshop was that it was also the case for many of them. While diplomats discuss this topic withRead… Read more »
There is no such thing as a “filibuster-proof majority” In his State of the Union address to Congress last week, President Barack Obama asked the U.S. Senate to amend or abolish its filibuster rules to break the Congressional gridlock. Don’t hold your breath. Neither party wants to change those rules because they always benefit theRead… Read more »
The 2012 Presidential Budget requires the US Army to reduce civilian employees to comply with funding decrease demands. The Department of Army announced today it is moving forward with plans to reduce the size of its civilian employee workforce. The intended 8,700 civilian employee reduction will be completed by 30 September 2012. According to theRead… Read more »
On the surface, the drop in the civilian unemployment rate to 8.6 percent signals an important and positive breakthrough. Data provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louisshows that since the most recent recession “officially” ended in June 2009, there has been an uneven, but steady downward trend in the unemployment rate. Figure 1Read… Read more »
Even when the inevitable stares us in the face, our natural inclination is to want things to stay the same. It is safe. We understand the rules and in the routine we find security. Nothing conjures up a sense of stability, reliability, and community more than the US Postal Service. And nothing is more inRead… Read more »
MakeTheConnection.net asks, “Have you made the connection?” The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs catches a lot of flack in the media most of the time and while they have had some bumps in the road – there are VA programs worthy of recognition. One such program is MakeTheConnection.net. “Many of our Nation’s Veterans—from those whoRead… Read more »
Our schools don’t teach this stuff. The U.S. Constitution has been in the news more in recent years than at any time that I can remember. Many Republicans have been throwing temper tantrums about the Constitution. They screech and whine and holler that they just love it eversomuch, but they’re usually wrong about what itRead… Read more »
The White Horse Digital Futures Group’s exclusive report provides feedback for 30 citizen-focused government mobile applications, plus mobile development guidelines helpful for public or private organizations. “The number of smartphone users in the U.S. is approaching the 100 million user mark. Government bears a responsibility to ensure… (they) use available resources effectively and produce betterRead… Read more »