StateScoop: Why 2023 could be a year for civic-tech optimism

Founder and Executive Director Travis Moore co-authored “Why 2023 could be a year for civic-tech optimism”

This year has the potential to be a positive, transformational year for government at all levels.

You’d be forgiven for scoffing at that sentence. With a divided Congress, many are ready to call 2023 a wash and set their sights on 2024. But from our vantage point in the world of public interest technology, that would be a mistake. We’ve never been as poised to drive meaningful, lasting change in government.

It’s taking place at every level of government — federal, state and local — as a result of three key factors: Increased capacity for tech talent in government jobs, digital delivery being written directly into policy, and government systems changing right before our eyes. The potential impact is enormous and will be felt in policies large and small — remaking the social safety net, transforming how we file taxes, modernizing infrastructure and beyond.

Reforming Congress - Travis Moore, Founder and Executive Director of TechCongress

TechCongress’ founder, Travis Moore, recently interviewed with the Sunwater Institute about TechCongress and modernization in Congress and Washington:

TechCongress to place more technologists in Congress with a $2.5M investment from Knight Foundation

The Knight Foundation generously granted TechCongress with a $2.5 million investment:

TechCongress, a nonpartisan initiative that places early and mid-career technologists as advisers to members of Congress, will expand tech expertise on Capitol Hill thanks to a $2.5 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. 

HOW IT WORKS

Through its Congressional Innovation Fellowship, TechCongress pairs early and mid-career technologists with members of Congress. The fellows include data scientists, computer scientists and computer engineers, who serve as advisors on technology policy and congressional modernization efforts. The program places an equal number of fellows in Republican and Democratic offices, and has also placed fellows who identify as Independents.

Knight Foundation’s latest investment in TechCongress will allow the organization to:

• Upskill the tech capacity of Congress by bringing 60 technologists to Capitol Hill by 2026, expanding the Congressional Innovation Fellowship cohorts from 16 to 24 fellows annually, and converting one-third of the fellows into full-time Congressional staff

• Increase representation of underrepresented groups in tech

• Boost recruitment efforts to ensure political diversity on an issue critical to the future of U.S. democracy

WHY IT MATTERS

When TechCongress launched In 2015, only seven out of the 3,500 legislative staff in Capitol Hill had any formal technology training. Pew Research from 2021, however, found that 95% of American adults were online. 

“Understanding the mechanics of current, new and emerging tech is critical for governing in the 21st century,” said Lilian Coral, Knight’s director for national strategy and technology innovation. “By increasing technical expertise in Congress, TechCongress fellows help our elected officials  better assess how technology impacts Americans’ lives. ” 

IMPACT

Since 2016, TechCongress has sent 65 fellows to Congress. They’ve worked with members such as  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA.) The fellows have also served in Congressional Committees, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Senate Banking Committee. 

The impact of TechCongress was evident during the pandemic lock down in 2020. Fellows supported the House Modernization Committee to facilitate the work-from-home transition for Congress. A pilot Congressional Digital Service effort was put in place quickly and made permanent by the House in January 2022. The House Digital Service aims to adopt digital technology and platforms to improve the ability of members of Congress to deliver for constituents. 

Other examples of TechCongress’s impact include:

• Changing defense procurement rules to allow startups to better compete for contracts

• Helping draft the House Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee report on tech monopolies

• Advising the House Modernization Committee’s recommendations to make Congress more responsive and effective

• Helping pass the OPEN Government Data Act into law

• Raising the level of tech policy discussion in Congress, including around artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and tech procurement

WHAT’S NEXT FOR TECHCONGRESS?

“Our fellows are forward-thinkers that not only bring critical knowledge to urgent tech policy challenges, but also bring new and creative methods to problem solving by centering users at the heart of the policymaking process,” said Travis Moore, founder and executive director of TechCongress. “Fellows are ensuring that lawmakers are at the forefront of cybersecurity and privacy challenges, while also supporting Congress to leverage new and emerging tech to make government officials more responsive to the needs of their constituents.’

Online Life Is Stressful. Reclaim Your Sanity With These 10 Tips

TechCongress’ founder, Travis Moore, recently spoke with the Washingtonian about ways to mitigate the effects of social media:

If hiding apps in folders doesn’t curb your usage as much as you’d like, try doing what Travis Moore, founder and executive director of the fellowship program TechCongress, does: delete the apps altogether and use the mobile web version. “It’s really clunky,” says Moore. For instance, videos on Instagram don’t autoplay in a web browser—unlike on the app, which doesn’t provide an option to turn off auto­play. “So all of the behavioral-targeting tricks just don’t work the same way. Like, they don’t work well at all, which makes it much better for me to be conscious and limit my time.” 

A better world with A BETTER TECH

A few weeks ago, TechCongress’ founder, Travis Moore, spoke as a panelist with A BETTER TECH alongside representatives of the Ford Foundation and Schmidt Futures. The theme of the discussion was how philanthropy can be used to build an ecosystem for public interest technology. 

Watch the full discussion below:

Bringing Tech Talent to the Halls of Congress: Q&A with Travis Moore

PIT-UN at New America interviewed TechCongress founder Travis Moore about the program:

Public interest technology practitioners have myriad opportunities to get involved and change the world. One such opportunity—as a TechCongress fellow—takes candidates right to the top, placing them with offices in the United States Congress. Recently, PIT UNiverse editor-in-chief Karen Bannan sat down with the organization’s founder, Travis Moore to discuss what TechCongress is, why it matters, and how people can apply to be part of the next cohort.