This must be the placeSomething happened to me last week, and I’m still trying to understand what it was and what it means. Writing helps. But the narrative…Jul 29, 20244.99K97Jul 29, 20244.99K97
I wrote a policy book?? I wrote a policy book!I spent yesterday pinching myself. (Serious brag alert here.) Ezra Klein’s interview with me dropped, and he starts out with “My pitch for…Jun 7, 20231437Jun 7, 20231437
Bad News for Procedure FetishistsHow do procedures that are not required by law or policy become required in practice? It happens because as soon as one person in a risk…Feb 14, 20231513Feb 14, 20231513
Not throwing away our shotI need to start writing again. I used to write pretty often, and then I went and wrote a book, which weirdly means I didn’t write for a…Feb 6, 20231152Feb 6, 20231152
Published inGENWhy Biden’s Executive Order on Customer Experience Could Be a Game-ChangerUnlike prior initiatives to simply digitize the bureaucracy, this one could actually improve access to government servicesDec 14, 20215082Dec 14, 20215082
Slow TrainThe people in sleeping compartments on the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Los Angeles see each other mostly in the dining car, which…Jul 12, 20214663Jul 12, 20214663
Published inOneZeroPitting Private Tech Against the Public Sector is Bad for EveryoneHow Marc Andreessen’s criticism of governmental responses to Covid misses the markJun 29, 20214276Jun 29, 20214276
Published inOneZeroHow the Government’s Multibillion-Dollar Plan to Modernize Its Tech Could Go Horribly WrongOur ‘Kill It with Fire’ MomentApr 20, 20215905Apr 20, 20215905
What on earth is SME-QA and why should you care about it?A stunning announcement about how federal government hires recently passed largely unnoticed. Only in the age of vaccine rollout drama…Feb 4, 20213444Feb 4, 20213444
Published inU.S. Digital ResponseWhat states must do about Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceTens of millions of people are suddenly out of work. Your Lyft driver, your hairdresser, your barista, the waiters at your favorite…Apr 17, 2020362Apr 17, 2020362
Published inCode for America BlogWhen you think end of year giving, think about democracyThis is the time of year when many people make donations to charities. This year it’s more overwhelming than ever. There are so many needs…Dec 19, 2019Dec 19, 2019
Published inCode for America BlogThe year in review at Code for AmericaI founded Code for America in 2009 with the hope that we could use the principles and practices of the digital age to help government work…Dec 19, 20192Dec 19, 20192
Published inCode for America BlogIn Memoriam: Carl V. LewisWe found out yesterday that we lost Carl V Lewis, the founder of Open Savannah, a Code for America Brigade. Carl was a leader in our…Oct 20, 20191Oct 20, 20191
Published inCode for America BlogAI DesertsYes, it’s true: Artificial Intelligence is coming and it’s going to change the world around us. Actually, AI and ML (machine learning) are…Oct 7, 20191Oct 7, 20191
Published inCode for America BlogMaking Government Work: The Next Ten Years (and some news)In July 2009, over beers with a friend who worked for the City of Tucson, I asked “what if there was something called Code for America…May 23, 20192May 23, 20192
Published inCode for America BlogCalifornia’s New Digital AgendaLast Friday, Calif. Governon Gavin Newsom published a budget summary for his 2019–2020 budget that includes a new Office of Digital…Jan 15, 2019Jan 15, 2019
Published inCode for America BlogDay one for Governor Newsom opens the door on procurementToday is California Governor Gavin Newsom’s first full day in office, and he’s chosen to spend it visiting a fire-ravaged area of the…Jan 9, 2019Jan 9, 2019
Published inCode for America BlogShould Governor-Elect Newsom create a California Digital Service?by Jennifer Pahlka, Code for America, and David Eaves, Harvard Kennedy SchoolNov 28, 2018Nov 28, 2018