One thing I was told at USDS is that people's willingness to engage in the democratic process is directly related to how much trust they have in the government to fulfill its promises, which in turn is directly related to whether the government seems to work in their day-to-day interactions with it (renewing a passport or DL, paying taxes, booking a campsite at a national park).
If you can, try to put in some time (could be a few months; could be 4 years) at USDS, 18F, or a state government's digital service. You will be working to strengthen liberal democracy, and you'll be able to make a lot of contacts in the civic tech world.
Comments
One thing I was told at USDS is that people's willingness to engage in the democratic process is directly related to how much trust they have in the government to fulfill its promises, which in turn is directly related to whether the government seems to work in their day-to-day interactions with it (renewing a passport or DL, paying taxes, booking a campsite at a national park).
If you can, try to put in some time (could be a few months; could be 4 years) at USDS, 18F, or a state government's digital service. You will be working to strengthen liberal democracy, and you'll be able to make a lot of contacts in the civic tech world.