Fracture. The collision between technology and democracy—and how we fix it.

by Jerry Fishenden

A world of technological innovation and transformation increasingly surrounds us. Yet one of the most important aspects of our lives remains a notable our governments. Their long-standing ambitions to use digital, data, and technology to deliver fundamental improvements in the relationships between the citizen and the state, and between nation states, remain largely unfulfilled.

The result is a growing digital / policy divide, an existential gulf between governments’ capabilities and citizens’ needs and expectations. Meanwhile, adversaries from hostile states to cyber criminals exploit technology to undermine security, stability, prosperity, and trust in democracy.

Leaving our governments decorated with a sprinkle of digital transformation glitter, but no real reform, isn’t an option. Digital has an essential role to play in democratic renewal. It can help to engage citizens in the co-creation and co-design of policies and services, provide continuous feedback and data to inform and update policymaking, enable rapid experimentation to learn and adapt faster, improve organisation design, and exploit platform technologies for innovation, efficiency, agility, and scale.

Fracture explores the recent, current, and emerging landscape to help politicians and policymakers better understand and exploit digital technologies and practices to learn smarter , react faster , and adapt better .

232 pages, Paperback

Published February 7, 2023