Public Transit's Fiscal Cliff
The Future in Context
As ridership continues to lag amid a stubbornly slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, cities experiment with free rides and micromobility to prove public transit’s worth in worsening financial conditions. When New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spiked plans to implement congestion pricing in New York City, it took a much-anticipated annual injection of $1 billion out of the mix — just as public transit systems there and elsewhere were looking to the pricing scheme for some good news in an otherwise bleak fiscal landscape.In TFIC’s occasional series, Your Mileage May Vary, senior writers of...
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Is This The Eligibility and Redistribution Engine America Needs?
The Future in Context
Former Compton, CA mayor Aja Brown grew up poor. Early on, she developed a sense of what could be for her community. Later, as an urban planner, she had what she calls a “heart to see Compton reach its full potential.” Once she sat in the mayor’s desk, armed with a 12-point vision plan that reflected community needs and a determination to revitalization her city, she used the levers available to her to nudge Compton toward a preferred future. During her tenure, Brown focused on sustainability, economic development, and youth empowerment, leveraging private investment to drive progress....
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The Trouble With TikTok
The Future in Context
Eric Goldman, associate dean of research at Santa Clara University School of Law, assesses concerns around the impending TikTok ban or buyout. It faces significant First Amendment challenges, he said. The debate over the potential TikTok ban, or forced sale under recent federal legislation, hinges on significant legal and constitutional challenges. Eight TikTok influencers have already filed a lawsuit, arguing the ban infringes on their First Amendment rights. Santa Clara University School of Law Associate Dean of Research Eric Goldman joins our Government A to Z, panel, drawing attention to...
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Government websites are failing at the basics: How to fix them
The Future in Context
A new report card called ScanGov monitors and evaluates the fundamentals of government websites in all 50 states and the federal government. The report reveals that half of all states received a failing grade, indicating a need for improvement in transparency, domain credibility, accessibility, and crawlability. The creators of ScanGov, Elias and Luke Fretwell, emphasize that their goal is not to shame governments but to educate and inspire behavioral change. The project has received positive feedback and has already prompted some agencies to make improvements. However, there is still a need...
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Choosing to Lead
The Future in Context
From digital inclusion to AI innovation, we take a closer look at Government Technology’s honorees in the 23rd year of its annual awards. In conversation with editorial staff, we focus on the work of five particular leaders. The editors of Government Technology recently released their annual Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for this year. The class of 2024 is noteworthy for continuing a multiyear trend toward gender equity among recipients, with women making up 44 percent of the group. The cross section of public leaders is recognized for their work on digital inclusion, government...
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The Importance of State Government News Coverage
The Future in Context
State government coverage faces a decline amidst journalism's broader struggles, with Pew Research Center revealing a rise in statehouse reporters, yet a decrease in full-time coverage. The University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communication combats this trend, sponsoring the $25,000 Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, awarded this year to a collaboration between Texas Tribune, ProPublica, and "Frontline" for their Uvalde school shooting investigation. Hub Brown, the college's dean, notes the endangered state of state government journalism due to dwindling resources,...
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Reimagining the Future of Public-Sector IT
The Future in Context
With a crowd of more than 900 people, the NASCIO Midyear Conference buzzed with energy about generative artificial intelligence, along with concern that humans remain in charge. Generative AI can fill a room. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Midyear Conference attracted some 938 registered attendees. And that’s for a membership organization that represents 50 appointed tech officials. Not surprisingly, AI dominated the agenda — but not to the exclusion of longstanding NASCIO priorities of cybersecurity, workforce development, business transformation and...
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AI as a Stress Test for Government Data
The Future in Context
The rise of generative artificial intelligence is a stress test for data governance and management. And an opportunity for data stewards to shine. When Neil Cooke became the Chief Data Officer at the Texas Department of Information Resources in 2022, generative artificial intelligence (GenA) was not on the horizon. The role was focused on data governance and collaborating with state agencies in overseeing the shared open data portal. It is tempting — and a little clickbaity — to say GenAI changed all that. But that would be factually incorrect. In fact, all the behind-the-scenes work on...
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Resisting the Campaign for Safer Streets
The Future in Context
Reducing traffic deaths is a compelling proposition, but it gets complicated when trying to make it so. Reduced enforcement of traffic laws, increased rates of driver impairment, cellphone distractions and street designs that prioritize speed have helped reverse long-standing traffic safety gains in American cities.Programs like Vision Zero, aimed at eliminating traffic deaths, face challenges in implementation and efficacy, though success stories like Hoboken, N.J., offer hope. Federal initiatives such as Safe Streets and Roads for All provide substantial funding opportunities for cities to...
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Is AI Ready to Replace Human Policy Advisers?
The Future in Context
A 50-state investigation in data journalism suggests the answer is, not yet. The AI agent was insightful on a number of fronts; but, while not descending into hallucinations, its mind strayed from instructions as the experiment went on. Government Technology Data Reporter Nikki Davidson tasked Google’s AI tool Gemini (formerly Bard) to explore AI’s perspective on government technology use. Davidson’s innovative approach involved treating AI as a collaborative partner to generate insights on AI’s potential applications in government. Despite Gemini’s occasional inaccuracies and...
info_outlineThe co-author of a new book suggests that when technology, data and collective effort converge, government, the tech industry and higher education can tackle major challenges while bringing a new generation into the workforce.
Arun Gupta — a venture capitalist, academic and author — champions a union of government, academia and entrepreneurship to solve societal problems, stressing tech and data’s key roles in innovation and restoring trust. In an interview with Governing’s Carl Smith, Gupta sees government data as vital for improving services and tackling climate change and geopolitical strife, urging a move to fact-based debates for a sustainable future.
SHOW NOTES
Here are the top takeaways from this episode:
- Gupta wrote the book to address the growing desire among students for mission-oriented work and the need to harness optimism and innovation to solve societal issues through government collaboration.
- The book emphasizes the importance of technology in all organizations, including government, citing statistics about the age distribution of tech workers and the role of data in driving innovation and rebuilding trust between citizens and government.
- Gupta advocates for modernizing infrastructure to attract top talent to government, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary opportunities in academia and partnerships between the public and private sectors at the state level.
- He discusses the significance of utilizing government data to enhance services and user experiences, stressing the potential for data-driven approaches to address major societal challenges such as climate change and geopolitical conflicts.
- Gupta encourages a shift in the culture of debate toward facts and data, emphasizing the role of collective effort in creating a better, safer and more sustainable society in the face of existential threats.
Related link to the book referenced in the episode:
- Arun Gupta, Gerard George and Thomas J. Fewer, Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society, Stanford Business Books, 2024.
Our editors used GPT-4 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes.
Listen to this episode on the player below or subscribe for free on YouTube or the podcast app of your choice — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy and Audible.