Premium
Crowdsourcing as a new instrument in the government's arsenal: Explorations and considerations
Author(s) -
Dutil Patrice
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
canadian public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.361
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1754-7121
pISSN - 0008-4840
DOI - 10.1111/capa.12134
Subject(s) - crowdsourcing , crowds , novelty , government (linguistics) , corporate governance , state (computer science) , data science , knowledge management , computer science , business , political science , world wide web , psychology , computer security , social psychology , linguistics , philosophy , finance , algorithm
Governments have made strides in “crowdsourcing” yet the concept has not been defined as a tool in either policy‐making or in delivering services. The article identifies different forms of crowdsourcing and argues that existing taxonomies for governing instruments insufficiently account for crowdsourcing as a strategic tool in its arsenal. Focusing on the most important types of crowdsourcing drawn from the federal, provincial and municipal levels, it explores the limits of crowdsourcing and issues it raises for governance and administration. The cases reveal how crowdsourcing can help the state meet needs by activating crowds into accomplishing tasks. Using crowds is more than a procedural novelty: it opens new venues for direct contact between the state and citizens that can affect the force and direction of decision making.