Better Together

Today the United States celebrates its independence. Amongst the barbecues and fireworks, it’s worth taking a few minutes to reflect on the significance of this day in history. For me, I’m most thankful for the contributions of this country’s founders to the ideals of good government.

We’ve had no shortage of trouble in living up to those ideals, and I’m convinced that some considerable reforms are still needed given how the nation has evolved (see Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop for my favorite take on that subject), but on the whole, the system of government we enjoy with its equal representation, checks and balances, and problem solving using negotiation and compromise vs violence, has promoted human flourishing both here and around the world (well, sometimes at least).

It’s been a privilege of mine to work in the public sector for most of my career, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon, as I’ve doubled-down on situating myself at the intersection of tech and politics. I figure it’s how I can best honor those who got us this far; to continue the quest for developing better governmental systems and policy.

I’m not alone in that effort, as I’ve been able to meet a lot of great people along the way, dedicated public servants who really care about improving lives. Perhaps you too should consider joining our ranks? Governments are positioned to solve numerous problems both big and small, and they need the kind of smart problem-solvers that tech folks typically are. It may not be glamorous, but it’s desperately needed.