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Governing Digitally
Jeffrey Roy
T
he arrival of President Trump in theWhite House marks
a new and potentially ominous phase in the evolution
of digital government, one reflective of Mr. Trump and
an emerging world order that may be less open and less
democratic. Along with consequences for the United States, there
are wider implications for the world.
It is worth reflecting on the evolution of digital technologies
in recent American presidential campaigns. Howard Dean’s un-
successful campaign to become the Democratic nominee in 2004
was nonetheless notable for its innovative use of new communi-
cation technologies to reach grassroots. The lessons were not lost
on Barack Obama, whose team made even more aggressive use
of technology in 2008 in his challenge to the candidate favoured
by much of the Democratic Party incumbency, Hillary Clinton.
In 2012, as Don Tapscott has noted, the digital emphasis of
President Obama’s campaign shifted from “we need you” to “we
know you” as big data analytics underpinned a micro-targeting
effort in critical swing states. In parallel, devastating television
ads effectively portrayed Republican Mitt Romney as a heartless
investment banker, underscoring the fact that the divisiveness of
traditional media could be greatly enhanced online.
In 2016, digital technologies played vital roles in shaping the
outcome of the election. The first and most obvious was in pit-
ting Hillary Clinton in a struggle with the FBI over her emailing
habits when she was Secretary of State. Donald Trump took full
advantage of the controversy to undermine her campaign, using
Twitter to endlessly remind voters that Clinton’s motivations in
using her own email system were nothing if not suspicious and
deserving of a jail sentence.
Though it is unlikely that President Trump will follow through
on his threated prosecution of Clinton, the email scandal resonat-
ed, as exit polls confirmed. The issue further tainted the Clinton
brand in a year where bringing change to Washington proved to
be the most coveted mantle. In short, technology worked against
the Clinton campaign again, just as it did in 2008.
The second shining moment for digital technology in this elec-
tion was the emergence of Trump as “Tweeter-in-Chief.” His han-
dling of social media proved key in his hijacking of Republican
primaries. Trump’s success was made with little of the traditional
“political ground game” that depends on local mobilization of sup-
President Trump –
The New Face of Digital Governance
December 2016 //
Canadian Government Executive /
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