The Argument for OpenGov Diplomacy

On January 21, 2009, the White House issued the "Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government." The document affirmed the Administration's commitment to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government and advanced the notion that increased transparency, collaboration, and participation in government would strengthen American democracy. In response to follow-on guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, executive departments and agencies, including the Department of State, now are planning and implementing open government initiatives aimed at "bridging the gap between the American people and their government."

The open government initiative provides a valuable context for exploring the current state of American diplomacy. The underlying issues that the Administration seeks to address with open government are not uniquely domestic in nature. Both Americans and foreigners express a desire to see a more accountable, transparent, and open U.S. Government, due in no small measure to the previous administration's decision to limit openness and transparency both at home and abroad.

In an era where scholars argue that the United States and other Western European powers are "losing their monopoly over the definition and value of openness and disclosure," the U.S. Government is at long-term risk of losing influence over global ideas - as captured in the National Intelligence Council's Global Trends 2025 report. To better advance American foreign policy objectives, our country needs to resolve the global community's lingering accountability, transparency, and openness concerns and simultaneously re-establish our diplomatic leadership credentials in bi-lateral and multi-lateral relations.

Fortunately, the Administration recognizes this imperative and already is making notable progress toward repairing the country's relationship with select governments. Recent global polls reflect how these efforts have improved global views of American influence. However, in the age of globalization, non-state actors, and social media, a focus on repairing relations between states through engagement with government elites will not be enough to prevent the long-term decline of American influence. In an era of social media, the voice of individuals in the global community is strengthening and also requires diplomatic attention.

The Administration therefore should promote a larger mind shift to reorient the country's foreign policy platform around the concept of OpenGov Diplomacy - "bridging the gap between foreigners and the U.S. Government using new and emerging technology." The doctrine should build upon the country's exiting cultural diplomacy and public diplomacy tradition but place considerable emphasis on leveraging new and emerging technologies to: 1) increase transparency and promote openness; 2) better solicit and respond to foreign citizen feedback on the country's foreign policy; 3) bridge the cultural, political, scientific, and economic gap between the U.S. Government and the global community on a personal level, including leveraging American citizens to increasingly engage foreigners as "ambassadors" of American values and ideas.

The doctrine should not supplant the importance of elite engagement between professional diplomats. Instead, it should serve to rebalance relative importance of soft power and hard power objectives; recognizing the long-term strategic importance of preventing the decline of American influence over global ideas and values. This can be achieved through greater emphasis on cultural and public diplomacy within the Foreign Service and greater investment in new programs aimed at engaging foreign populations in cultural exchanges using Web 2.0 technologies, such as social media.

The doctrine also must not equate the need to solicit and respond to foreign citizen feedback on U.S. foreign policy with the need to incorporate foreign policy preferences into U.S. foreign policy. Only the American public has the right to influence U.S. policy. It is in our collective best interest though to hear the opinions of others and engage in constructive two-way feedback where our national interests lead to policies opposed by foreign citizens.

The Administration's extension of its domestic open government initiative to the foreign policy community offers the potential to make American diplomacy more relevant in "The Age of Social Media." Increased engagement between foreigners and Americans would enable the U.S. Government to: 1) better gauge the global effectiveness of its foreign policy agenda; 2) increase the cross-pollination and sharing of ideas; 3) reduce cultural and geographical barriers that undermine increased engagement between Americans and foreign citizens. Deliberate exportation of the country's open government best practices (such as crowdsourcing citizen feedback) also would strengthen the democratic process around the world. It is for these reasons that the President should consider expanding his definition of open government beyond the domestic context or issue a separate memorandum on OpenGov diplomacy to his Cabinet.