The technology that manages congress to the lagging up so far the modern world that its flag monitoring system has just caught up to the Hut pizza from the 2017 time

A typical day, you cannot turn on the news without hearing someone say that Congress is broken. The involvement is that this breach explains why the institution is inert and insensitive to the American people.

There is an element that often lacks this discussion: the congress in large part is because its members cannot hear the American people, or even each other. I mean that literally. Congress staff serve in thousands of district offices across the country, and their communication technology does not correspond to that of most companies and even many houses.

Members’ district offices are only connected Wi-Fi Internet service secured in 2023. Discussions between members and congress staff were sometimes Cut 40 minutes Because some government employees counted on the free zoom version, according to the testimony of the Congress in March 2024.

The information systems that Congress has used has existed largely unchanged for decades, while the world has experienced an information revolution, integrating smartphones and internet in people’s personal and professional life. Technologies that have Transformed modern life and political campaign are not yet available to improve the capacity of Congress members to govern once they have held functions.

Slow to adapt

Like many institutions, Congress is resistant to change; Only the The cocovio-19 pandemic pushed it To allow online audiences and invoice presentations. Before 2020, the white tables, the sticky notes and the trainees with fire floors dominated the rooms of the congress.

Electronic signatures Arrived on Capitol Hill in 2021 – more than two decades after the Congress adopted the Esign To allow trade signatures and electronic recordings.

The nation passes About $ 10 million a year On technological innovation in the House of Representatives – the institution which declares war and pays all the invoices of the federal government. This represents only 1% of the quantity that theater fans have spent to see ‶Hamilton“In Broadway since 2015.

It seems that the history of American democracy is attractive to the public, but investing in making it work is less for the congress itself.

THE Chief Administrative Office at CongressNon -legislative staff that helps manage congress operations, decides what types of technology can be used by members. These internal rules Exist to protect congress and national security, but this caution can also inhibit new ways of using technology to better serve the public.

Finding a happy medium between innovation and prudence can cause a more alive public discourse.

A modernization effort

The Congress was Work to modernizeincluding experimenting with new ways to hear local voices in their districts, especially Gather the constituent comments in a standardized way which can be easily treated by computers.

House Natural Resources Committee was also a first adopter of technology for collaborative legislation. In 2020, the members and staff of the committee used a platform called Madison To write and modify in proposed collaboration Environmental justice legislation With communities across the country that had been affected by pollution.

House leaders also look at what is called deliberative technologyuseful Website specially designed has Facilitate digital participation by Associate collective human intelligence with artificial intelligence. People publish their ideas online and respond to messages from others. Then the systems can Screen and summarize Posts for users Better understand the prospects of each.

These systems can even manage Massive group discussions involving a large number of people who have a wide range of positions on one Vast set of problems and interests. In general, these technologies facilitate the task of people find a consensus And make their voices by political decision -makers in a way that decision -makers can understand and respond.

Governments Finland,, The United Kingdom,, Canada And Brazil pilot already deliberative technologies. In Finland, around a third of young people between 12 and 17 years old participate in the fixing of budgetary priorities City of Helsinki.

In May 2024, 45 non-profit organizations based in the United States signed a Letter to Congress asking that deliberative technology Platforms are included in approved tools for civic engagement.

In the meantime, the Congress looks ways to use artificial intelligence as part of a plus integrated digital strategy depending on the lessons of others Democratic legislatures.

Find advantages

Modernization efforts have opened links within the congress and with the public. For example, the audiences held by video during the pandemic allowed witnesses to share the expertise with the remote congress and to open a process that is Notoriously non -representative. I was at home in the rural New Mexico during the pandemic and I know three people who testified from a distance tribal education,, methane pollution And environmental damage abandoned oil wells.

New Home rules After January 3, 2025, encourage the use of artificial intelligence in daily operations and allow remote testimony.

The other efforts that are new to the congress but which have long been established in commercial and personal circles include the possibility of Follow the legislation changes and a planning functionality that reduces overlap during meetings. The members are regularly programmed Be two places at a time.

Another development effort is a Internal digital personnel directory replacing Expensive directories compiled by private companies Assemble the coordinates of Congress staff.

The upcoming road

In 2022, what is now called ”expenses led by members“Back to the congress with some digital improvements. Formerly known as “Auts d’Atorts”, it is the practice of allowing members of the Congress of Hand -specific projects in their original districts to receive federal money. The assignments were abolished in 2011 in the middle Concerns of abuse and opposition by tax carnliners. Their return and the brand change in 2022 were introduced Project lists accessible to the publicRules of ethics and a Search engine to follow Expenses as efforts to ensure public transparency on cannons.

Additional reforms could make the federal government even more reactive to the American people.

Some recent improvements are already familiar. Just as customers can follow their oven pizza delivery to the door, Congress at the end of 2024 created a Flag monitoring application that has improved considerably a program This allows constituents to receive a flag that has invaded the American capitol. Before, various procedures in the Chamber and the Senate caused long problems in this delivery system.

Finally, the most powerful legislature in the world has met Pizza Hut, which deployed this technology in 2017 To follow the pizzas of store customers to the delivery driver at their front door.