Threan Communications Network

Policy Recommendation: The Department of the People

There is currently a problem in the communication between those who are governed in New York City and the Government.  The breakdown in this city is not necessarily any larger than in other cities across the country, however, the breakdown is magnified due to large number of residents who reside under the jurisdiction of one City Government.  Officials are elected by the people directly, however, once in office, an official is currently bound only by their desire to run again for reelection.  Thus, they have an incentive to take on the tasks and implement the policies which are most likely to get them reelected.  It is with this in mind that I propose the implementation of a new policy to New York City Government, one which uses the advances in polling to find out what the people think about the City.  This policy would establish a Department of the People of New York City which would be directly responsible for finding out what New Yorkers like, dislike and want in their city.

I propose that the City Government of New York establish a new Department, called the Department of the People.  This Department will conceptually be in charge of first finding out what the people of New York desire and think.  Next, the Department will search for realistic ways in which changes can be incurred to the services and policies which currently exist.  This Department will be created as a problem solver and it will be able to directly affect the Government from the inside out.  Rather than forcing private interest groups to advocate for changes in the government, this Department will show through the usage of polling and surveys what steps must be taken to improve the quality of life, as well as the quality of representation.  No longer will elected or hired officials be able to solely take actions in an effort to be reelected because they will constantly be checked through surveys, the people will be rewarded for having a mindful eye on the Government, which will promote better leaders and better decisions for the city as a whole.

            The New York City Mayor's office has already seen the need for this form of a policy.  In June 2008, over 100,000 residents, at random, were sent a survey called the NYC Feedback Citywide Customer Survey.  The survey's goal was to find out how New Yorkers currently felt about the City's services and the ways in which the residents of New York believed the City could improve.  The Survey was conducted by the Mayor's Office of Operation and in its press release directly states that the survey was done "to hold city agencies accountable for improving municipal services."  Mayor Bloomberg himself believes strongly in acquiring data in order to improve the decisions made in the future, as well as, to assess the decisions made in the past.  In order to make this feedback project into a reality, Mayor Bloomberg teamed up with Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.  This program has initiated a beginning which I believe must be added to in order to form a full policy which constantly teams the public with the government.

The steps taken by the current administration to implement this program shows that there has been a lack of information in the past.  Furthermore, there has been a lack of desire for this form of information.  Now that this program has been created, a policy can be formed which takes this information and turns it into change.  The Citywide Customer Survey is the first step in the process.  This survey must be made into a more extensive system of polling and surveying of the City by the Government.  Surveys must be conducted at a minimum of twice a year.  The survey does not always need to ask the same questions, but a relationship has to be formed between the government and the public.  This new relationship will be formed on the basis of information sharing.  This sharing between the public and Government of New York will help the city to run better as a whole and to battle plan ways to make it run well in the future.

The current Citywide Customer Survey has been established by the Mayor as an important way to gather information, however, because it is not directly a part of the government, the knowledge which is acquired has a strong potential to be wasted.  If the Mayor's office believes that the opinions of the residents of New York are important, then the people should not have to be represented by an outside group.  Betsy Gotbaum, as stated before, who works in the Office of the Public Advocate, teamed up with the Mayor on this project.  A Public Advocate fighting for her public is a tremendous thing, but it shows that there is a substantial gap between the Government and the people.  Gotbaum has to come in as an outsider to deal with the Mayor's Office.  The only way in which true change can be elicited by surveys is if the surveyors themselves have a role in the government.  Gotbaum believes that the next step in the Citywide Feedback process is to use focus groups and market research techniques in order to help the researchers better understand the perceptions and desires of the public.  I think that this is a great next step; however, I also am left with the nagging feeling that this program is taking steps to acquire information solely for information's sake. 

The surveys were conducted; next the program will try and gain information on how better to interpret the information which was gathered.  A third step has not been mentioned, which leads to a resounding fact that the Mayor's Office has established this program without a realistic means of implementation.  Information is only as good as the steps which are taken based on that information.  The people will truly be served if a new Department is created in the Government, one which handles the acquisition of this information and then advocates inside the Government for change.  If the current administration is gaining information about the people, why must Public Advocates be the ones looking for change.  The Government is getting information as to what changes are necessary, the surveys are how the public is directly involving itself, and we must allow that involvement to hold weight in the government.  The Department of the People will accomplish this.

There could be heavy opposition to a policy to implement a department such as this.  Under the current situation, the surveys are taken on an information basis only, and thus there is no specific pressure on the Mayor's Office or the Office of the Public Advocate to make changes.  The acquisition of large scale information will cost money.  The implementation of changes to the Government based on that information will not only cost money, it will also be very arduous and time consuming.  Some could contest that the surveys will place unwarranted or unnecessary pressures on elected officials while they attempting to best serve the people.  Through the Citywide Customer Survey Mayor's Office has already proven that the acquisition of information is a pivotal part of government in the future.  In addition, if the government feels that an increase in information will overtax its legislators then it is wrong.  Information will only allow better choices to be made, and if a legislator is unable to make better choices, then a better legislator will be elected.  With the new standard that this policy will set up it will be necessary to ensure that the information gained is not wasted.  Knowing what is wrong or what needs to be changed is only half the battle.  My new policy may come at a great time and monetary expense to the Government; however, it help said Government to function properly, thereby making it more beneficial to all.

This policy will give legislators specific proof as to what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong, and on what they need to better inform the public.  This policy will empower the public, by allowing them to speak their mind and hold their officials accountable.  More importantly, this policy will empower the elected officials themselves, for it will finally allow them to act with confidence and make the correct decisions for the City as a whole.  Through the direct formation of a Department of the People as problem solvers with their major tool being the use of polling and surveying I believe that The New York City Government will function better and help to make the city the definition of good government.

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