Gov 2.0 On the Rise

Whether alerting governments to potholes and graffiti or finding the safest route home from work, an explosion of "Gov 2.0" apps and newly available municipal datasets make it easier than ever for citizens to find out what's happening locally and alert governments to problems in their neighborhoods. At the same time, these tech tools make it easy for governments to track citizens' concerns and requests and respond promptly.

"'I see [these applications] as the death of a passive relationship with government,' said Clay Johnson, director of Sunlight Labs, a group promoting Gov 2.0 apps."

From San Francisco to New York a number of larger cities are indeed embracing mobile and web-based technologies to make citizen engagement easier, though some cities and smaller towns are hesitant to take the plunge.