Recoding America: Discussion with the Author
This event took place on November 2, 2023.
Just when we most need our government to work—to decarbonize our infrastructure and economy, support marginalized people through a pandemic, and address our housing crisis—it is faltering. Government at all levels has limped into the digital age, offering online services that can feel even more cumbersome than the paperwork that preceded them and widening the gap between the policy outcomes we intend and what we get.
But we don’t need more money or more tech to fix it. Government is hamstrung by a rigid, industrial-era culture, in which elites dictate policy from on high, disconnected from—and too often disdainful of—the details of implementation. We need to keep pace with today’s world and reclaim government for the people it is supposed to serve.
On Thursday, November 2nd 12-1pm PT, we’ll have a conversation with author Jennifer Pahlka about her book Recoding America, why we must stop trying to move the government onto new technology, and what it would mean to truly recode American government. Join us for an intimate conversation between Pahlka and Catherine Bracy, CEO and Founder of TechEquity Collaborative.
We recommend picking up the book from your favorite local bookstore, or you can order through Bookshop to send the profits directly to them.
As always with our book club series, you don’t have to read the book to join! If you’re looking for a brief primer on the topic before the event, we recommend this feature of the book in The Atlantic.
Agenda:
- Webinar kicks off at 12:00 PM
- Panel discussion begins at 12:05 PM
- Q&A from attendees from 12:40-1:00 PM
About Jennifer Pahlka
Jennifer Pahlka is the author of Recoding America, and a pioneer in making government work for people in the digital age. She founded Code for America in 2010 and led the organization for ten years. In 2013, she took a leave of absence to serve as U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama and helped found the United States Digital Service. She served on the Defense Innovation Board, started by the late Ash Carter, under Presidents Obama and Trump.
At the start of the pandemic, she also co-founded United States Digital Response, which helps government meet the needs of the public with volunteer tech support. She has received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and was named by Wired as one of the 25 people who has most shaped the past 25 years. Jennifer is a graduate of Yale University and lives in California with her husband, Tim O’Reilly.
This webinar is hosted on Zoom; register for free to get access to the webinar link. We can’t wait to see you there!
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