It’s 2008. We call this the digital era. Yet, in the United States we seem to lack political leaders with a vision for technology, much less an interest in the ways technology can make all levels of government services more efficient, effective, and accessible to regular voters.

Yes, indeed, the rumblings are starting to get a little louder – snuggled, as they currently are, within our niche community of tech-savvy politicos and politics-friendly techies. Is a technology transformation upon us?

For some, the transformation begins when elected officials use technology to listen. There’s a word – listening. In the middle of an election season that has seen a glut of staged conversations, online and offline. Andrew Feinberg rants about some of these so-called listening exercises today at Capitol Valley. There’s a difference between talker at voters and listening to them.

Talkers get headlines. Listeners get things done.

Like fixing potholes and handling case work, increasing the efficiency and efficacy of government programs. A year ago, IPDI published Constituent Relationship Management: The New Little Black Book of Politics, which looks how political campaigns and elected office can use online and offline feedback loops to run case management and constituent communications. Many elected officials and political candidates already use database platforms to help this process.

The next step? Government institutions that employ tech-enabled feedback loops to deliver better goods and services.

In their Politico column, Andrew Rasiej and Micah Sifry write about some of the ways in which foreign citizens and governments are using technology to listen and act, including e-petitions in the United Kingdom and the government of New Zealand’s wiki for a new Policing Act. As Rasiej and Sifry put it, you can use the Internet to file your taxes, but you can’t use it to make suggestions on how your tax dollars ought to be spent:

Imagine then, that the next time you file your taxes online, your government asks for your feedback on how those tax dollars are being spent. Or it takes your suggestions on how to make a law more understandable. Or it helps you find groups near you that are doing things that benefit your community. It may sound mundane, but today in America, it would be the equivalent of a revolution. How much longer do we have to wait to bridge yet another digital divide?

What about tech policy?

At the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, Robert D. Atkinson writes,

we need a debate in America that focuses on the most important issues like to get fast broadband networks to all Americans; how to use IT to transform our health care system, transportation system, education system, and government; and how to encourage all organizations to become digital, thereby driving productivity and income growth and a better quality of life.

Atkinson thinks that better private-public partnerships can help create an environment of “digital transformation.”

Over at Open Left, Matt Stoller blogs about the successful efforts of blogger and member of the California Democratic Party platform committee, Dante Atkins, to get Net Neutrality in the party platform:

California Democrats, in order to promote vigorous free speech, a vibrant business community, and unfettered access to all information on the Internet, support policies to preserve an open, neutral and interconnected Internet. California Democrats strongly agree with recent rulings by the Federal Election Commission that political communications, including blogging, which take place independent of a political party, committee or candidate, receive a media exemption from campaign finance regulations. California Democrats further reaffirm their support of the right to free speech as expressed in the First Amendment, including the right to critique any elected official or comment on any and all public policy, whether during war or peace, without fear of reprisal.

 Perhaps it is time that we — voters that we are — begin to expect more from our elected officials and encourage digital leadership on our blogs as well as in our voting booths.

CRM expert Paul Greenberg , author of CRM at the Speed of Light: Capturing and Keeping Customers in Real Internet Time, believes that constituents are customers, and that elected officials, advocacy groups, trade associations, and, yes, even political campaigns should focus a little more on building relationships with their “customers.”

Check out his new essay, CRM Politics: Do, and Lots of Don’t, for Legislators, Administrators & the Rest of the Tribe.

Greenberg writes that too many government and political institutions see interactions with constituents as a hindrance. When people feel that their government is non-responsive, cynicism sets in. And the people begin to distrust the government.

What’s a congressional office, political campaign, or advocacy group to do? Greenberg offers several best practices for building engagement into your constituent communications program. Read them here.

As we gear up for the 2007 Politics Online Conference, IPDI brings you the first in a series of interviews with industry professionals discussing the state of online politics. Our first interview is with Matthew Zablud, Vice President at the Adfero Group.

Special thanks to Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network for hosting IPDI’s Vlog posts!

In addition to the panels on social networking and online adverstising, we are pleased to announce these breakout panel discussions:

• We Won! Now What? Voter Relationship Management on and off the Campaign Trail - If you think constituent communications is a hassle, then think again. Our experts will walk through the principles and applications that you’ll need from the day you announce your campaign through your term in office. Sponsored by the Adfero Group, this panel will feature Adefro’s managing director, Jeff Mascott, and will be moderated by IPDI’s Julie Germany.

• The Last Kingmakers: Local Blogs - With the power of national political bloggers now a given, local bloggers are set to drive races all the way from dog-catcher to presidential. We’ll take an in-depth look at the demographics and role of the local blogs and see what impact they will have in 2008. Henry Copeland from Blogads (the panel’s sponsor) will be part of the discussion.

• Online with a Shoestring Budget - ElectionMall Technologies will sponsor our breakout panel on the basics of a cheap and effective web campaign.

• Let’s Go Local! - Local media experts Centro will bring us a discussion on how to “go local” with your next marketing and outreach effort. Consider this your local outreach toolbox that will teach your everything from advertising to finding local online hang-outs. Centro’s founder and president Shawn Riegsecker will be part of the discussion, which will be moderated my iMedia’s Mark Naples.

Stay tuned for details about more panel discussions for POLC 2007. For more details and to reserve your seat now, visit the POLC website: http://polc.ipdi.org.

[And special thanks to EvolutionStrategies and Democracy in Action for their POLC shout-outs]

Perhaps the real magic in online politicking occurs behind the scenes. E.Politics tells us why:

Where electronic politics seems to be making a real difference is behind the scenes, in the decisions campaigns are making about which voters to contact and how to reach them.

Basically, it’s all about the databases, which the Republicans are masters of using. Particularly, they are terrific at cross-referencing voter databases with consumer marketing databases to find likely supporters in unlikely places and target them with finely-honed messages.

If you’re doing something interesting with databases this election, we’d love to hear your story — whether it’s updating your databases, conducting niche marketing, or going door-to-door with PDAs. Tell Julie what you’ve been up to at ipdi@ipdi.org.