Topic: Government

How do we foster more social enterprise and innovation? In this panel discussion, panelists John Elkington, Bill Drayton, and Ed Milibrand consider the question. They explore what's needed on the local, regional, national, and international levels, and acknowledge the role that governments and entrepreneurs play in improving the social landscape.

How do we look after the global public good in a society where globalized businesses aren't subject to international control? In this audio lecture, Peter Eigen explains civil society organizations' role in creating necessary structures and rules to fill the gaps in current global governance. Suggesting cooperation between academic, business, and social actors, Eigen uses Transparency International's policies as examples in the fight against corruption and environmental abuse.

In this edition of Jon Udell's Interviews with Innovators, host Jon Udell speaks with Greg Elin, chief architect with the Sunlight Foundation. Founded in 2006, the Sunlight Foundation aims to make the operation of Congress and the U.S. government more transparent and accountable. Jon and Greg discuss the Sunlight Foundation's own projects as well as those of its partners and grantees. All of these projects focus on gaining access to public data and presenting that data in ways that make it more useful.

How is California, home of the technology revolution, preparing the next generation of students to lead the charge of innovation? In this University podcast, Senator Joe Simitian and Professor Michael Kirst argue that school financing in California is neither adequate, efficient, nor equitable. Speaking at the Stanford School of Education, they discuss the challenges of financing California's K-12 schools in a rapidly changing environment with diffuse accountability and dilute authority.

More Than Just A Game panelists discuss the broader implications of games for business and other domains. Business and government organizations use advanced gaming technology to provide value through the preparation of tools, training of personnel, and modeling of complex scenarios to better understand situational dynamics and probable outcomes. Theoretically, the experience and knowledge gained through simulated environments translates into higher skill levels, advanced situational knowledge, and improved preparedness that result in better outcomes in the real world.

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps issues a call to arms to small, medium, and large technology firms to get involved in the net neutrality debate. This issue is a part of a much larger national discussion over media consolidation, which currently poses a threat to innovation, diversity, and the independent voices critical to maintaining a robust civic dialogue in any democratic society. He states very clearly that all is not well in Washington when it comes to technology policy and there is a need to get involved and do something about that.

Dr. Moira Gunn speaks with Patrick Kelly, VP of State Government Relations at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, about the state of biotech in the United States.

The City of Philadelphia is in the vanguard of American municipalities offering ubiquitous wireless access to their citizens. Despite legislative opposition from the cable and telecommunications industries, the city has forged ahead with a public/private partnership to build the infrastructure and skills needed to bring affordable wifi to the city's diverse neighborhoods. Dianah Neff describes the vision and the logistics of Philly's plan to shrink the digital divide and connect residents to the information highway.

From the Tech Nation Summer Archive Series, Dr. Moira Gunn speaks with Joe Trippi, the former manager of Howard Dean's U.S. Presidential campaign, and the wuthor of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised -- Democracy, The Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything." He'll tell us what was different about this Presidential campaign, one that made Internet history. From blogs to meet-ups to astonishing campaign contributions, the Internet enabled Howard Dean to come out of nowhere. [Tech Nation audio from IT Conversations]

Daniel Solove doesn't use the familiar metaphor of "Big Brother" when he discusses privacy; rather he uses Kafka's play "The Trial." He says we're not as much in danger of having our privacy violated by someone with evil intent as we are of having our lives turned upside down from the interactions of unapproachable and faceless corporations and bureaucracies. [Technometria with Phil Windley; audio from IT Conversations]