Newsom set aside some time before his speech to discuss many of the same issues with Government Technology.
Our coverage last week featured his thoughts on open data and privacy in government and society, and in this latest edition of our series, Newsom claimed that cities are the leaders in technological innovation compared to other levels of government.
“That innovative spirit is localized,” he said. “So there’s a willingness to take some more risks and an entrepreneurial energy that exists disproportionately in cities large and small than in large states.”
The innovation and change grows within the public sector, spreading from cities all the way up to the federal government. Local officials have an easier time engaging citizens with new ways of operating than their state and federal counterparts whose connection to the public is less direct.
Consequently, innovative technology’s adoption still faces reticence from many government leaders, who find it difficult to embrace transformative technology, Newsom said. The solution to this bottleneck, in his opinion, will come about when government sees this as a cultural problem as opposed to a technology problem.
“The cultural mindset of shifting from a top-down bureaucracy to a bottom-up collaborative system of engagement — more platform thinking versus machine thinking — that’s when we will dramatically change our relationship with citizens,” Newsom said.