Digital age Quote by John Micklethwait
““This is only the beginning of a huge “Copernican revolution” (to borrow a phrase from Matthew Taylor, one of Tony Blair’s advisers) that is putting the user at the center of the public-sector universe. The current centralized state has been shaped by the idea that information is in short supply: It derives its power from the fact that it knows lots of things that ordinary people do not. But information is now one of the world’s most abundant resources: available in huge quantities and accessible to anyone with a computer or a smart phone. As Eric Schmidt, Google’s chairman, and Jared Cohen, who worked for Hillary Clinton, point out in The New Digital Age, this changes the nature of the relationship between individuals and authority. The top-down state may become more like a network that can mobilize the energies and abilities of thousands or even millions of well-informed citizens—or “prosumers,” as one cyberguru, Don Tapscott, has called them.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public‑Sector Digital Transformation, John Micklethwait, 2015
The shift from scarce to abundant information empowers citizens, turning the state into a network that leverages informed participants.
In simple terms: Information abundance reshapes power, making citizens active contributors.
Key Takeaway
Embrace digital tools to co‑create public solutions.
Themes
democracy
information abundance
networked governance
citizen empowerment
digital transformation
Mood
optimistic
critical
Type
analysis
inspirational
When to use this quote
- government services
- civic tech platforms
- community organizing
- policy making
Key Concepts
public policy
information economics
participatory design
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards ensure equitable access?
- How can we protect privacy while sharing data?
A Different Perspective
Digital divides and privacy concerns can limit participation.
