© damo1977


Political buzz word of the day: Transparency. No matter what country you're from, everyone seems to be looking for a little more honesty from their government. And one way that is becoming easier to connect with politics is through the internet.

A number of governments are now turning to the internet to help their citizens feel better connected. We see government-run websites, bills posted online and the opportunity to chat with politicians in real time. Britain in particularr has jumped on the internet government bandwagon.

There's a lot of discussion over the positive and negatives of taking our politics to the digital landscape. Britain seems to want to emulate the United States who is working towards listing all legislation and expenditures for the public to review. (Though in truth, it will probably be a long time before we reach that point.)

So why are we interested in transparency? Transparency keeps government officials and politicians honest. It allows the average person to feel more involved in government decisions and act on issues they feel are important. The internet works perfect for this because it allows for the mass distribution of information.

A few neat systems already exist in the UK to make sure your political voice is heard online. Number10 lets you connect with the Prime Minister's office through e-petitions. You can "sign" and also read government responses there. There's also the Democracy Club a group that wants to make sure there is full transparency in the future that you can get involved in online.

What do you think about government transparency? Do you think that the internet is the right avenue?