Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better
by Jennifer Pahlka
Buy on AmazonA bold call to reexamine how our government operates—and sometimes fails to—from President Obama’s former deputy chief technology officer and the founder of Code for America Just when we most need our government to work—to decarbonize our infrastructure and economy, to help the vulnerable through a pandemic, to defend ourselves against global threats—it is faltering. Government at all levels has limped into the digital age, offering online services that can feel even more cumbersome than the paperwork that preceded them and widening the gap between the policy outcomes we intend and what we get. But it’s not more money or more tech we need.…
Recommended by
"Why are government websites and digital services so bad? Jennifer Pahlka’s experience behind the scenes tells her it’s not primarily an issue caused by outdated technology or the average government worker’s tech skills. Instead, Pahlka details how years of built-up policy “cruft” and top-down cultures conspire to leave us frustrated. The book offers vignettes explaining why the unemployment system was crushed under COVID-19, why many people in poverty don’t use food stamps and even why satellite maps could be made better. Despite tales that would frustrate even Franz Kafka, Pahlka’s optimism and problem-solving clarity are an inspiration for fixing pain points in any organization."
NPR Books We Love — 2023 · apps.npr.org