Let's get serious about using the transformative power of information and communication technologies to change the way we govern ourselves...

Information and communication technologies have the capacity to transform not only government -- the structures that deliver public services -- but also governance and politics; how we make the collective decisions and shape the forces that affect our lives. In the next few months Progressive Policy Canada will explore various aspects of e-government and governance, but as a start we are pleased to point interested readers to two thoughtful initiatives, one Canadian and one American.

E-governance (and its positive transformative value for our democracy) is one of the issues that should be embraced by the centre left. It has all of the hallmarks of solid progressive policy -- better contact with citizens, more efficient delivery of government services and the possibility of achieving greater social equality by taking away one of the special privileges of corporate lobbyists -- greater access to information than the regular citizen. Some critics on the left (and occasionally the right) complain that e-government is a fancy way of describing online anarchy -- electronic referenda where the lowest common denominator wins. As you'll see in the websites described below, there are plenty of people who define e-democracy and government from a progressive standpoint that has little to do with blind populism.

The day will come when an ordinary citizen with a computer will have access to as much information as a highly paid lobbyist. Well informed citizens, hooked into the halls of decision making through modern communication technologies, will demand and get more accountability from their elected representatives.

While many individuals and organizations (and corporations) are attempting to lay claim to the e-government file, here are two good sources of information on the transformative power information technology could have on government and governance. Both of these organizations tackle governance issues through a progressive lens -- using the power of technology for the greater good of all citizens.

Crossing Boundaries is a an initiative co-led by Winnipeg Liberal M.P. Reg Alcock and former New Brunswick Cabinet Secretary, Jean-Guy Finn. Supported by the intellectual and organizational resources of the Centre for Collaborative Government, Alcock and Finn have launched a Canada-wide effort to define and promote a vision for governance in a technological world.

South of the border, New Democrats Online (NDOL), have added consistent intellectual rigour and energy to the debate around e-government. One part think tank and one part advocacy group, NDOL's web resources on issues of e-government and e-governance are next to none.

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