Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Citizenville: Connecting People and Government in the Digital Age” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Citizenville: Connecting People and Government in the Digital Age

Gavin Newsom,

Lisa Dickey (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 593 ratings · 90 reviews

By integrating democratic government with cutting-edge American innovation, the lieutenant governor of California charts a bright future for open-source America

Citizenville is the story of how ordinary citizens can use new digital tools to dissolve political gridlock and transform American democracy. As social networking and smart phones have changed the way we communicate By integrating democratic government with cutting-edge American innovation, the lieutenant governor of California charts a bright future for open-source America

Citizenville is the story of how ordinary citizens can use new digital tools to dissolve political gridlock and transform American democracy. As social networking and smart phones have changed the way we communicate with one another, these technologies are also changing our relationship with government.

In a world where people can do anything at the touch of a button—shop, communicate, do research, publish a blog, transfer money—government cannot keep functioning in a twentieth-century mind-set. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom explores the many ways in which technology can transform government and empower citizens: Opening up vast troves of government data, then letting people create apps to use them wisely. Harnessing the popularity of online games to establish a kind of “Angry Birds for Democracy.” Inventing new feedback loops so people can take active part in every facet of governing.

Drawing on wide-ranging interviews with thinkers and politicians, Citizenville is the first book by Lieutenant Governor Newsom. He broke new ground as the mayor of San Francisco, one of the most high-tech, experimental, and progressive municipalities in the nation. But when Newsom’s tenure as mayor began, he found that San Francisco was behind the likes of Estonia and South Korea in terms of digital governance. Newsom’s quest to modernize one of America’s most modern cities—and the amazing results he achieves—form the backbone of this far-reaching book.

Lieutenant Governor Newsom explains how the problems of twenty-first-century America are too big and too expensive for the government simply to buy solutions. Instead, we must innovate our way out. Just as the post office and the highway system provide public infrastructure to channel both personal and private enterprise—a platform upon which citizens can grow—so too could a modern digital government house the needs, concerns, information, and collaboration of an enlightened digital citizenry.

Citizenville shows that the only way Americans can secure their future is by reinventing their relationship to government, just as they have countless times before.
(From Amazon) ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published February 7th 2013 by Penguin Press HC, The

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Citizenville, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Citizenville

Lists with This Book

Open Government

48 books — 14 voters

Government and Technology

38 books — 13 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.69 ·

Rating details

· 593 ratings · 90 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Citizenville: Connecting People and Government in the Digital Age

Feb 16, 2013 David Sasaki rated it it was ok

Shelves: kindle

There's not much I can add to the reviews of Citizenville by Beth Noveck, Evgeny Morozov, Sara Lai Stirland, and Lydia Depillis.

Yes, the book is disjointed, incessantly optimistic, shameless in its namedropping, and often reads like a politician's stump speech on repeat. Readers must endure bombastic, tired declarations like:

The revolution is happening now, and the world is changing too quickly for government to respond with tiny, incremental changes. It is time to radically rethink the relatio

...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Michael rated it it was ok

This is not an entertaining read. It is dry and uninteresting, but still is pertinent. The book is filled with stories of how certain local governments have learned to use the social media and technology available to move toward a transparent government and society. The major issue I see is the loss of privacy. Not only is big brother watching your every move....a bit of drama here.....but all of your neighbors, family, friends, the IRS, and all law enforcement can also have access to informatio ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2014 Brian O'Callaghan rated it it was ok

Predictably disappointing. (So why did I read it? Because I wanted to contrast it with Evgeny Morozov's book.)

This book is chock-full of half-baked ideas, Newspeak, strawman arguments, and too many unexamined assumptions.

In the few instances he finally gets down to a real-world examples of how he has used new technologies in governance, he admits that some serious drawbacks and limitations. This is where the book should have gotten interesting. Instead he just moves on to the topic and assures t ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2015 Kevin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-reads

Gavin Newsome is an entrepreneur, former Mayor of San Francisco, Lieutenant Governor of California, and, apparently, one heckuva tech evangelist. In this book, he argues that our government needs to make more of an effort to get our apathetic citizenry involved in government. And the best way to do that is through more comprehensive use of technology.

Throughout the book, Newsom obtains insight from tech evangelists who have implemented programs and ideas, both successful and failed, that were u ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Hilary rated it it was ok

Interesting and valid points, but written from the standpoint of a politician, some of the arguments fell flat.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2013 Dr. Lloyd E. Campbell rated it it was amazing

This book is written by the Lieutenant Governor of California, I say that because while I was reading it I kept telling myself, what the Hell is he doing now in relationship to the ideas in this book? I think Jerry Brown swallowed him. Are Lieutenant Governors like Vice Presidents? Does Jerry Brown have to die before we get to see what this guy can do?
His record as mayor of San Francisco is so strong, maybe he should go back to being mayor. One of the inferences I made from reading the book is ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2013 Sean rated it really liked it

I, as my four star rating would suggest, really liked this book. Newsom presents a lot of interesting thoughts about the intersection of government and ubiquitous technology, and what that could mean for the future of our country. The ideas and examples discussed throughout the book are empowering and point toward a possible future defined by increased civic engagement, strong sense of community, and a new definition for and appreciation of our commonwealth.

The book is not without its problems. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2015 Keith Swenson rated it liked it

Very interesting and well written book. I work, professionally, in the collaboration software space. What Gavin Newsome has proposed is very good, straightforward, common-sense advice. This book coming from a technologist in the space might be considered boring, but coming from a politician makes it more important. The book impressed me -- he knows what he is doing.

I gave it three stars because it is a good book, but (for me) not particularly groundbreaking. I don't want anyone to be turned off ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 Katie rated it really liked it

Basically reads like a, I'm a high-tech populist, vote for me! piece of propaganda, but interesting nonetheless. I'm skeptical about a few of his arguments, but it's a page turner and a light and interesting read. The people he interviews offer great ideas and anecdotes, so I liked it more for the subjects than necessarily for him. I'm seeing him talk about it on Thursday so we'll see how that complements the book ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2013 Julie rated it really liked it

Not sure exactly how I'll rejuvenate the agency I work for, but this book motivates me to look at my role as a Federal Employee a bit differently. EPA is certainly taking steps to enter the modern age, but also struggles with a management-heavy structure, a regulatory framework for its mission, outdated systems, and a long-entrenched workforce. Hopefully more government employees will read this book and get inspired! ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 David Luna rated it it was amazing

Arguably the best and most important book I will read all year. As someone who loves technology and change this book is perfect for me. I am starting a project and this is exactly what I needed to motivate me. I will now take the next steps forward in creating something that will give people a voice.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2019 Gregory Williams rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: leadership

I generally don’t read political books because I find they often feel inauthentic, like curated sales pitches designed for generalized, idealized ways of solving problems that are far too complex to be solved in the manner described by the seller. Most government work, like with any organization, lies in doing exactly that: Work. Problem-solving. Working with people who have a stake in an issue to resolve issues to the best satisfaction of the most needs. Being attentive to rights, responsibilit I generally don’t read political books because I find they often feel inauthentic, like curated sales pitches designed for generalized, idealized ways of solving problems that are far too complex to be solved in the manner described by the seller. Most government work, like with any organization, lies in doing exactly that: Work. Problem-solving. Working with people who have a stake in an issue to resolve issues to the best satisfaction of the most needs. Being attentive to rights, responsibilities and accountabilities that each party holds.

As a leader, I have to use a scalpel to peel away processes, get the right people to communicate with and connect to others and get the most good done with the least amount of cost and mess. Good leadership is about driving results, and there are plenty in government focused on that. Yes, there are also plenty of sycophants and n’er do wells, just as there are in any organization. And when it’s justified and supported, we deal with disciplinary issues and flush those people out of the system so we can continue to provide the best value for the customer - the taxpayer.

So for all of those reasons I look at easy fixes with a little bit of a dubious eye. The analogy of the title here is the game Farmville where people do tasks for the inherent sense of accomplishment in doing those tasks and applying that same principle to governance. Certainly an interesting, whimsical approach that I can understand and emulate. It’s just a bit simplistic. And by simplistic, that makes it suspect.

That said, I sense that Newsom wants to do the right thing (though another simplistic notion, doing the right thing is a principle I can get behind.). I found the story of him meeting with a San Francisco employee/hacker who was arrested for refusing to reveal the passcode to a database needed for payroll, among other things, compelling in that the man must have found Newsom authentic and real enough to release the passcode that he held as ransom. That speaks volumes in terms of trustworthiness.

There are plenty of inspirational prompts in the book to point to a need to reinvent government to be more responsive - absolutely we need to empower people who have a need to be able to solve those problems. The premise is good. The issue I have is that the solution really isn't spelled out in any logical manner that you can sink your teeth into.

I've found the books of Ken Miller more useful in this regard, in that he promotes a series of steps and approaches to making solutions work that are actually doable - Miller recognizes the complexities and proposes methodologies that acknowledge those. It just concerns me a bit that it's easy to identify problems and propose general idealized solutions - I'll be very interested in how this translates to governance of the fifth largest economy in the world. Time will tell. ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 30, 2018 Jim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: jims-reviews

Government right now is functioning on the cutting edge - of 1973.

Part of the point of this book is making government more participatory. To truly have a government for, by, and of the people. It’s going to take some work, because as my girlfriend wrote in the margin of this book, “[the government would] rather not know what we want so they can keep voting however they want.” They don’t really want our participation.

Well, too bad. They’re going to get it, if 2017-2018 is any indication.

This i ...more

flag Like · see review

May 09, 2018 Sean McBride rated it it was ok

I picked this one up, because I like Newsom, and I'm interested to see what he could do as a Governor. I lived in SF when he was the mayor there, and he was far better than any Mayor who did the job before him or after. He was the most progressive, and made the city more liveable and cleaner.
The premise of the book, however is about how governance needs to move into the 20th century and embrace technology. This in and of itself is a great theory, the issue is that 1. you have to get the governm ...more

flag Like · see review

May 04, 2020 Gordon Hahn rated it liked it

The book introduces a lot of new and interesting details on how governments at all levels can use technology and private sector practices to make citizens more engaged and have a more favorable view of government. The book supports public-private partnerships that utilize government data and civic duties to keep citizens involved in today fast and convenient world. However, it does not explore the limits and potential shortcomings of how technology can persist, if not worsen, our issues.

Very th ...more

flag Like · see review

May 25, 2019 Jay Sellers rated it really liked it

Working as a public information officer in a government agency, I was looking forward to learning tips and tricks to increase transparency. I expected the information to be dated but the content was surprisingly general enough to continue to be useful, more conceptual than definite.

flag Like · see review

Aug 03, 2019 Lisa rated it really liked it

Interesting perspective, good to know Newsom's views. While the stories of the power of the people and the importance of making data accessible were compelling, I'm disappointed he dismissed the ability of government employees so quickly. I think the real answer takes both. ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 19, 2020 Michael Balan rated it it was amazing

Citizenville is an awesome book that provides insight on how technology can be used streamline outdated processes in government. As a non profit worker who has worked in government, we can use these insights to progress any organization in a more forward direction.

flag Like · see review

Mar 23, 2017 Janet Ritter rated it it was amazing

By Gavin Newsom. Read in 2013? 2014? Great book. Such a progressive mayor willing to try new ideas to see their effectiveness on the city's citizenry. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 16, 2017 Lynn rated it it was ok

Light weight read and boring.

flag Like · see review

Aug 10, 2017 Daniel rated it liked it

Great new perspectives on how to incorporate tech into government.

flag Like · see review

Feb 18, 2020 Mardella Costanzo rated it it was amazing

I had to read this for class, however it was surprisingly interesting.

flag Like · see review

Mar 25, 2020 Friederike rated it liked it

Read it for an essay. Seems to be a lot of people talking about a lot of good things but repeating themselves and kinda lacking a direction.

flag Like · see review

Apr 05, 2013 Carlien Roodink rated it liked it

Shelves: digital-transformation, new-democracy, technology

Gavin Newsom is lieutenant governor of California and a former mayor of San Francisco. And for me, as Newsom is probably running for governor of California, there is reason to be skeptical about his book Citizenville. Isn’t it just a way to get a stage for his campaign?

What pleads for him is that Newsom is very abundant in dropping names and is transparent about the fact that a greater part of the ideas described are not his own. Newsom’s book is inspired by the earlier work of authors like Gove Gavin Newsom is lieutenant governor of California and a former mayor of San Francisco. And for me, as Newsom is probably running for governor of California, there is reason to be skeptical about his book Citizenville. Isn’t it just a way to get a stage for his campaign?

What pleads for him is that Newsom is very abundant in dropping names and is transparent about the fact that a greater part of the ideas described are not his own. Newsom’s book is inspired by the earlier work of authors like Government as a Platform by Tim O’Reilly.

According to Goodreads “Citizenville is the story of how ordinary citizens can use new digital tools to dissolve political gridlock and transform American democracy”. The name of the book is chosen after Farmville, the popular game where players work with their friends to tend farms and animals to advance to the next level. Newsom focuses on government that is not making optimal use of the fact that people are far more interested in engaging with social media than in engaging with democracy processes. He pleads for a more tech-enabled government that uses the principles of succesful tech platforms (like Yelp) and the principles of gamification in order to engage citizens and solve problems.

Citizenville is very accessible, easy readable and full of succes stories. It’s a procession of all the remarkable digital trends of the last decade: the iphone and the app store, apps built with all sorts of open data, twitter enabled revolutions, wikileaks, crowdfunding initiatives like KickStarter etcera.

Newsom shows a glimpse of failures, but the very dominant message is techno-optimism. Evgeny Morozov even describes the book as a lazy tome of techno-populism that consists of random entries. Beth Noveck is far more positive than Morozov but still emphasis in her book review that Newsom doesn’t acknowledge that getting to his kind of decentralized, participatory, tech-enabled democracy is a long and uncertain path. In the words of Lydia Depillis “Citizenville is a manifesto for why technological innovation matters. And, like many manifestos—especially techno-triumphalist ones—Newsom glosses over some major complications of the overall program that he espouses.”

They are all right in their critics. The questions about privacy issues for example are too easily ignored by Newsom and his statement that transparency will lead to more trust is not based on any fact based research. In my opinion the words ‘reinvent government’ in the subtitle are therefor too ambitious and should have been left out. The book is far from being a master plan or blue print of how to reinvent government.

The question is whether we should want a master plan or blue print to reinvent government? Who wrote the master plan or blue print for inventing internet or social media? Or to put it in the words of David Graeber in his blog Practical Utopian’s Guide to the Coming Collapse: “When has social change ever happened according to someone’s blueprint? It’s not as if a small circle of visionaries in Renaissance Florence conceived of something they called “capitalism”, figured out the details of how the stock exchange and factories would someday work, and then put in place a program to bring their visions into reality.”

As a techno-optimist myself I personally liked reading the book of Newsom. Like Newsom I see so many inspiring examples of how collaboration between people can take place in an effective way outside the borders of the hierarchal, formal institutions. There are many books that describe these forms of peer to peer production and their consequences in a far more profound way than Newsom does. Unfortunately, but not coincidental, those books are less readable than Citizenville. Being a politician I have learned that readability is very important. So credits for Newsom on that aspect.

My suggestion: read both Newsom and Graeber and start acting without worrying to much about master plans and blue prints. To paraphrase Graeber: we are left in the bizarre situation of watching the capitalist system crumbling before our very eyes, at just the moment everyone had finally concluded the capitalist system was the most effective blue print for our society. ...more

flag Like · see review

May 29, 2013 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, history-politics

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I was seriously floored by it. It's been a long time since I've been so completely engrossed by and unable to put down a nonfiction book the way I was with this one. For anyone who is frustrated with the way our government is currently operating and feels as if government representatives are drifting farther and farther away from the people they are supposed to represent (so... for anyone), this book is just what the doctor ordered. Reading this book filled me with a new co I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I was seriously floored by it. It's been a long time since I've been so completely engrossed by and unable to put down a nonfiction book the way I was with this one. For anyone who is frustrated with the way our government is currently operating and feels as if government representatives are drifting farther and farther away from the people they are supposed to represent (so... for anyone), this book is just what the doctor ordered. Reading this book filled me with a new confidence about the way our government can and, I think, eventually will operate in a way that is way more inclusive of the vast resource that is the people in this country who don't work in a political sphere- and specifically how the boom of social media and connective technology actually makes this shift a pretty easy one. One thing I especially loved about this book is that, while it is a book about government reform, Newsom doesn't spend the whole time ragging on the government in a way that makes you feel even more discouraged about the current state of our country and more hopeless that it will ever actually change. Coming from the perspective of someone who works in politics (Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco and is currently the Lieutenant Governor of California), he does a great job of showing frustrated readers what the government is actually doing well at this point, as well as giving concrete examples of individuals and departments within the government that are currently taking steps towards connecting with their constituents in a more positive way. Rather than just complaining about and rallying against the government, he points out specific, fixable areas where our current system is struggling, and also explains (in a non-condescending way) to folks who have never looked at these things from a politician's perspective the reasons why it's taking our officials so long to move forward in these areas. You will come away from this book, or at least I did, actually believing that our elected officials (for the most part) do want to do good for this country, and are on the right track to someday getting there. I will say, the transition to getting there would be much quicker and easier if every elected official read this book when entering office!!

**Bonus: Reading this from the perspective of a teacher, I also took away A LOT of great ideas about education from this book. Newsom specifically talks about education for a little bit, but even his general ideas about running the country have a lot of great implications for running a classroom: the basic idea, that government should be a two-way exchange of ideas rather than a monolithic institution, translates incredibly well to an educational perspective. He has some great things to say about failure that I am definitely going to carry with me into my classroom. Plus, he talks about Salman Kahn, so that gets big brownie points from me! ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 22, 2013 Tony rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction, 2013, reviewed, tech, whats-next

The book opens with Newsom, then mayor of San Francisco, meeting with Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of Estonia. Newsom is attempting to impress Ilves with details of some of the recent technology initiatives they've instituted, and is surprised to discover that Estonia has already had these things (and many more besides) for a long time. “Americans tend to think of San Francisco as Tomorrowland, on the cutting edge of technology in government, but in fact, we were years behind”, he realises.

W The book opens with Newsom, then mayor of San Francisco, meeting with Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of Estonia. Newsom is attempting to impress Ilves with details of some of the recent technology initiatives they've instituted, and is surprised to discover that Estonia has already had these things (and many more besides) for a long time. “Americans tend to think of San Francisco as Tomorrowland, on the cutting edge of technology in government, but in fact, we were years behind”, he realises.

What makes this book so frustrating is that Newsom seems to have completely failed to understand the value of this lesson. Rather than using it as a prompt to explore how other cities and countries around the world have already discovered creative and innovative approaches to many of their issues, so as to copy or even improve on them, he remains trapped in his California bubble, preferring instead of seek advice from the usual roll-call of tech pundits as to how best to model his city (or state, or country) on Farmville instead. Other than a couple of token nods to internationally led approaches in internet voting and participatory budgeting, Newsom's entire field of vision seems restricted to Silicon Valley startups, "Code for America"-style hackathons, and a few ideas being tried in a couple of other US cities (the leaders of whom he'd be happy to regularly learn from, as long it's through some sort of MayorBook social network).

Hidden amongst the shallow treatment of most of the key issues surrounding citizen participation (e.g. reducing the privacy debate to Guy Kawasaki's laughable claim that there could be no problem with Facebook knowing every other website you visit unless you're a paedophile), there are some interesting tales of the problems Newsom faced when trying to actually implement some of his ideas in San Francisco — whether from entrenched bureaucracy, a hostile press, or even just their own self-doubt and lack of research (an initial idea to make public transport free to use is abandoned after "realising" that this would simply lead to residents abusing the system as they would no longer value it — an argument that has turned out be entirely untrue in Tallinn.)

Had this been a more reflective book, wrestling more deeply with how to adjust all the superficially neat theories to better cope with exposure to day-to-day political reality, it could have been a very useful view from the inside. But instead these are largely shrugged off with a "Do as I say, not as I do" approach, and that opportunity is lost.

...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 29, 2013 Paul Signorelli rated it really liked it

Shelves: collaboration, community, government

One of the sweetest moments in what is a wonderful paean to community, collaboration, and the technology that can help foster those two critically important elements of civilization comes when Gavin Newsom, in the acknowledgment section at the end of the book he has written with Lisa Dickey ("Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government"), offers "thanks to all government workers whose work directly and indirectly impacts all our lives each and every day...." Citizen One of the sweetest moments in what is a wonderful paean to community, collaboration, and the technology that can help foster those two critically important elements of civilization comes when Gavin Newsom, in the acknowledgment section at the end of the book he has written with Lisa Dickey ("Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government"), offers "thanks to all government workers whose work directly and indirectly impacts all our lives each and every day...." Citizenville effectively and convincingly promotes the idea of individual community members collaborating with each other and their colleagues in government to produce positive change. More importantly, it pushes us toward an approach that already fosters levels of engagement in playful ways: transferring our love of game-playing for virtual results (as exemplified by FarmVille) into a form of game with more rewarding real-world results. Newsom is explicit about the challenges we face in attempting to use technology to increase citizen-government collaborations: "The sad truth is that the history of government is a history of technophobia" (p. 6); government workers often collect magnificent amounts of useful data without working to make it accessible (p. 22); government agencies are much better at attracting constituents to one-time events than to encouraging long-term involvement (p. 115); and "...government isn't interested in solving problems so much as managing them" (p. 220). That's not a situation, he suggests, that is sustainable: "No one foresaw that sea change for newspapers, but in hindsight it had to happen. The same is true for government. It's hard to predict exactly how this will unfold, but it's absolutely inevitable that the relationship between people and government will change. If nothing else, the changing expectations of new generations, weaned on smartphones and the Internet, guarantee that we can’t just continue with business as usual" (pp. 174-175). The playfulness inherent in Newsom's "Citizenville" model has certainly found its way into many local efforts, and if implemented by others, will help us continue to produce positive results rather than falling into the destructively nonproductive trap of complaining about government. ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Kim Olson rated it it was amazing

This book is a clarion call for anyone who wants to make change in their community but is frustrated by government sluggishness. Essentially, Newsom believes that social media and other digital tools can be used to transform government, just as they've transformed nearly every other part of our lives.

I love that this book was written not by some Silicon Valley wunderkind, but by someone who's actually been in the trenches. Newsom has worked in government at the local and state level, and he kno ...more

flag Like · see review

May 17, 2014 Kevin Valliere rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, technology

I really enjoyed this book, mostly because it provided a different perspective on so-called "disruption," especially as it pertains to technology and government. Gavin Newsom was able to bring in legitimized experiences and thoughts to the discussion and they were more useful than the rampant speculation I feel I'm used to.

It's funny, too, how this book seemed slightly outdated in just a few spots (there were whole discussions on the implications of games like FarmVille and Angry Birds) even tho ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Andrew rated it liked it

Shelves: politics

At first, I worried about the earnest premise of Citizenville but it quickly convinced me of its seriousness. Gavin Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco and lieutenant governor of California believes that governments – and his did – can improve services by entering the digital spaces where citizens live and play. Coming from the Darwinian world of California politics, Newsom doesn’t have some wish-list of how tech-savvy citizens can help governments. Instead, he looks at what works. San Franc ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Madison Mega-Mara...: #61 Citizenville by Gavin Newsom	1	3	Apr 30, 2018 09:48PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Goodreads is hiring!

If you like books and love to build cool products, we may be looking for you.
Learn more »

Genres

Politics

31 users

Nonfiction

30 users

Science > Technology

10 users

Politics > Government

7 users

Business

4 users

Economics

4 users

Sociology

3 users

Politics > Political Science

3 users

Academic > School

2 users

Leadership

2 users

See top shelves…

About Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom

8 followers

Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician. He is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California, after being elected in 2010. In 2003, he was elected the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, the city's youngest in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007 with 72 percent of the vote. In 2010, a Samepoint study named Newsom the Most Social Mayor in America's largest 100 cities. ...more

Books by Gavin Newsom

We Do: A Celebration of Gay and Lesbian Marriage

California Contractors License Law & Reference Book 2019

Seeing Through the Fog: A Gateway to San Francisco

More…

News & Interviews

Shankar Vedantam, of 'Hidden Brain,' on Using Your Delusions

If you listen to NPR regularly, you’ve likely heard the voice of Shankar Vedantam, the longtime science correspondent and host of the radio...

Trivia About Citizenville: Con...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Citizenville: Con...

“Failure isn't something to be embarassed about; it's just proof that you're pushing your limits, trying new things, daring to innovate.” — 3 likes

“The jobs in the greatest demand in the future don't yet exist and will require workers to use technologies that have not yet been invented to solve problems that we don't yet even know are problems.” — 2 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Citizenville by Gavin Newsom

Citizenville: Connecting People and Government in the Digital Age

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Goodreads is hiring!

Genres

About Gavin Newsom

Books by Gavin Newsom

News & Interviews

Trivia About Citizenville: Con...

Quotes from Citizenville: Con...

See a Problem?

Preview — Citizenville by Gavin Newsom

Citizenville: Connecting People and Government in the Digital Age

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Goodreads is hiring!

Genres

About Gavin Newsom

Books by Gavin Newsom

News & Interviews

Trivia About Citizenville: Con...

Quotes from Citizenville: Con...

new topic
Discuss This Book