Well, fun works, and maybe Dustin Haisler from Manor Labs has the right idea.
He speculates about two ways that might build on existing approaches to get people involved in
government
Let's say we built an online game that was as engaging as [Zynga's FarmVille game]], but incorporated real governmental concepts in the process. Which concepts are important to start with?
- Taxation: Have the gamer adjust taxes but also have it tied to public opinion (similar to Sim City, but less complex).
- Cost of Service: Have responding to police calls, water line breaks, etc., demonstrate a cost of service for government.
Or alternatively:
Building on [the Foursquare] model, each agency could allow citizens to "check-in" at various city spots (Library, Fire Station, etc.) and learn more about their community in a fun and engaging format. This could also help open up the door for their participating in other crowdsourced programs like SeeClickFix.
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