The British government and Facebook have announced a partnership aimed at spearheading a new initiative focused on public spending and tackling the deficit.
This is being described as the “largest public engagement project” ever launched by the British government, and the goal is to tap into the 26 million British citizens who actively use Facebook and get their feedback and ideas about policies associated with the public spending budget.
The project, which is dubbed “The Spending Challenge,” is first launching via the Democracy UK Facebook Page. This page will link users to official government websites where they can get information and submit or opine on other ideas.
During the general election, more than one million people participated in election day polls using the Democracy UK Facebook Page. The government hopes to use that momentum to solicit ideas and opinions about the deficit.
The first phase of the Spending Challenge was rolled out to individuals who work in the public sector and the feedback was pretty strong: More than 60,000 ideas were submitted in just two weeks. This second phase, which is open to all British citizens, encourages individuals to not only submit ideas but to give feedback on suggestions from others.
Prime Minister David Cameron held a web conference with Mark Zuckerberg to discuss Facebook’s role in supporting the Treasury’s new project.
What do you think of the way the British Government is using social media to affect public policy? Let us know!
