By Jeni Lyttle

Minneapolis

The Internet has changed the way a lot of us communicate, for better or for worse, depending on individual perspectives. But can it be used as a vehicle of democracy? Can it grease the wheels of government? Can it help a community overrun with squirrels? Steve Clift, online strategy consultant for Publicus.net, believes it can.

Clift -- speaking at PNN's Minneapolis Nonprofits and Technology conference -- stated that until recently, communicating with government institutions has primarily been one-sided: instead of engaging in political dialogues, citizens often have been the audience for political monologues. But the Internet is changing that.

"The institutions of government are increasingly interconnected and we are seeing the emergence of a wired government," Clift said. "Citizens who have been like disconnected islands are beginning to connect with one another." He showed how a "wired agora," or online public commons, has given people the collective voice needed to bring about change and shape public policy.

"An online public sphere facilitates citizen-to-citizen and citizen-to-government discussions," he said. "From neighborhoods to counties to countries, communities at all levels are using the Internet to organize, communicate and act in a democratic public forum."

By keeping candidates in closer touch with their constituents, online discourse helps them make more rational and effective political decisions, Clift said. It also makes them more accountable for those decisions.

Take the population boom of squirrels in Minneapolis, for example.

Clift, also board chairman of Minnesota E-Democracy, noticed a while back that his city was teeming with an unusually large squirrel population. He wondered if squirrels in such density would pose a public health risk. He also wondered whom he might contact about his concern.

Clift took the issue online. The first element was recruitment; he sent e-mail to more than 230 people in a Minneapolis e-mail group. "The impact of the Internet on local government is more possible than on the national level," he said. "Recruitment is key."

There was soon quite a bit of chatter about the squirrels. Some of those who responded did not share Clift's concern, while others did. The point is, people responded -- they got involved. The media picked up the story and more than half of the quotes used in a St. Paul Pioneer Press article came from e-mail subscribers.

And the city animal control division, a government institution, contacted the citizens. Not vice versa. "The online discussion and postings set the agenda that resulted in better government service," Clift said. "Some postings have influenced government decision making, which, until now, has been very unusual."

Clift -- also a consultant with the Markle Foundation and its Web White & Blue site -- said he believes e-mail levels the playing field and provides an element of community that is very effective.

"E-mail is active," he said. "It's the lowest common denominator in online communication. It makes every individual a producer of communication -- a publisher."

Another important element of effective and relevant e-mail discussions are guidelines. "It is essential to establish rules for people who are sending and receiving messages in a public sphere," Clift said. He gave examples from e-mail groups in which he has been involved:

• Discourage rumor mongering. Require users to sign their names to their postings
• Control the volume of postings without censorship. Too many e-mails turn people off; ask that no one post more than twice per day
• Refer users to the Web. Instead of attaching large documents to their posts, people should provide URLs or links to relevant Web sites.