Wednesday, December 17, 2003
PRESIDENTIAL ROLEPLAY
Harvard's Berkman Center and the Howard Dean Campaign have just teamed up to offer a public discussion, using very expensive non-blog technology, of what you would do if you were elected President of the United States in 2004. At least that's what I think they're asking--there is a lot of dross:
[...]You all are dying to get in on the discussion, aren't you?
Now you are President of the United States, a position perceived by many as responsible for the health, safety, financial security and well-being of two-hundred sixty million people, plus the peace and prosperity of the entire world. You are also responsible to the mandate of your campaign -- to change the role of the president of the United States, shifting power from the White House and to the American people. The night after you are elected, you receive 2 million email messages from supporters. Not surprisingly, each supporter seems to believe that he or she has been elected co-president and stands ready to guide your domestic and foreign policy.
How do you, elected on a platform of citizen empowerment, govern? What opportunities and challenges are made possible by the personal relationships and communities that your campaign has established? How will your government be shaped by social software and political engagement? What is your personal role as president?
