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The Role of Government in

the Digital Society of 2025

iga Turk

@EIF Dinner Discussion,Brussels, 14.4.2009

speaking notes

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Disclaimer

the views expressed are not necessarilythose of the Reflection Group or any other

organizations the speaker is affiliated with!

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Outline

global historical context conceptual economy: from industrial to conceptual capitalism powered by talents: creativity is the ultimate resource communication revolution: allows so many more to be creative

changes how governments will work platform for brains outside of government (Open Government, Govt. 2.0) coordination, not command and control trust / rely on people with access to so much knowledge and information

agenda for government action empower the creative and innovative

provide/preserve technical infrastructure that encourages creativity develop new intellectual property rights for the conceptual economy

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Conceptual economy

value is in meaning not in function function:

quenches thirst keeps you warm plays music gets you from hope to office

meaning:

it is the original Coca Cola it si new and fashionable dress, shirt, car it is an iPod not some no name stuff it is environmentaly friendly it is fair traded, no-child labour

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Conceptual economy is thefuture

how is meaning created? by talent

who can be talent? an increasing number

of people how is meaning communicated? by

communication technology

references: Alan Greenspan, Dan Pink, Richard Florida

detour: abundance of functional products is a core reason for the crisis, we havethe stuff that provide function, need not buy new!

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How many talents, how manybrains?

how much land can you use

how many hands can you use

how much oil can you use

how many brains can you use

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Communication RevolutionsIncrease the Numbers of Talent

3000BC exclusive paper

1500AD democratic paper

1900AD exclusive electronic 2000AD democratic electronic

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Political systems followcommunication technologies

poor communication

few people involved in decision making:

autocracy better communication

more people involved: democracy, subsidiarity

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A look at the history

expensive paper mostly oral, some writing: governing by a small group of people that can talk to each other and

dispatch commands by writing (kingdoms, dictatorships, agora typedemocracy)

very few literate, educated, most of them working for church or

government autocracy

cheap paper: more writing: paper based communication enables power sharing and subsidiary among

those that can reliably communicate with paper mass education through books

democracy electronic; TV, mass media:

technology again available to elites only; democracy by real power concentrated

internet empowers the masses

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What internet will change?

does Internet make the case for an increasinglylibertarian future? Milton Friedman: "government should decide when people do not

have information to decide for themselves" we are living in an information age; information is easier to get

than any time before

does Internet weaken the role of government portion of educated people working for the states keeps

decreasing

majority of smart people is outside the government

key issue: how can governments, states, business make use of all those

smart people, with all the information and knowledge available

to them with a few mouse clicks

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How? Open up!

like the industry: open innovation let users innovate, innovation outside the r&d departments

like web 2.0

users add value provide a platform for users to add value

blogs, youtube, flickr, twitter

government 2.0 government as a platform (O'Rilley)

government provides a platform for people to make value middle of the circle, not top of the pyramid

government not a decision making body but a coordinationplatform among stakeholders

govt. actors job: get the best people around you!

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What governments shoulddo? empower talent

he/she has more data, information, knowledge available thanever before; let her use it!

entrepreneurship

access to education

provide technical infrastructure that encouragescreativity net neutrality, not local monopolies and market distortions by

ISPs broadband for all, like access to other utilities

provide law and order security and safety

property rights

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Property Rights

property rights management (about material property)contributed to the raise of the West since 1500s; environment that rewarded fairness, honesty, protected

property allowed for the best, not the most cheating one, towin

tangible property can be held by one person only sharing material stuff (like in socialism) does not work

conceptual, intellectual property can be shared not at an

expense of other sharing ideas that lead to tangible stuff (patents) done sharing ideas that remain intangible, conceptual question!

Greenspan: key issue for legislators is to find a mostproductive way to handle this kind of intellectual property

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In conclusion

back to slide 2