As citizens participate more actively in the day to day process of government, what will become of the bureaucrats at the state and local levels? It's tough to say, especially because the roles of state and local government vis-a-vis the federal government are changing rapidly. With the defeat of small government measures in the Legislature, it's clear that the central government will soon play a more intrusive role in local politics.
3-1-1 call services are an example of the new wave of government services. By contracting out to outside companies, cities are able to take advantage of efficient call centers. As more and more cities implement this service, the need for well-trained operators will increase as well as the need for customer service support. Cities looking into implementing a 3-1-1 call service should look into the available call center software far ahead of time.
As new citizen relationship management initiatives attempt to stitch the nation together, it is anyone's guess as to what will ensue. It's my prediction that a more responsive bureaucracy will usher in an era of more active participation in government at every level. This is probably good news, as it will be harder for the government to waste money and mismanage services if more people are in the know about our democracy's inner workings.
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