Politics To-Go?

Thumbs up to the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet (IPDI) at George Washington University. IPDI continues to churn out amazingly practical tools and guidebooks to help the navigate the intersection of political influence and the Internet and other digital technology. The Politics-to-Go Handbook: A Guide to Using Mobile Technology in Politics is another well-structured product. Bringing together ten different subject matter experts to share their experience with mobile technology on political campaigns and their outlook on the future of mobile technology is no small feat.

While the chapter range in style, level of detail, and practical advice, they are all useful. One chapter provides clear guidance on using mobile technology to fundraise while another raises the issue of user privacy and protection, an emerging and important area of debate that will likely frame the parameters of mobile advocacy in the future. The book’s final chapter is a reflection on America’s slow start to mobile technology and the implications this may have on global competiveness. The latter subject makes a perfect concluding chapter leaving the reader with a sense of portence that reinforces the relevance of mobile technology to more than reality contest shows.

In trademark IPDI fashion, the book has a top ten take-aways for those unable to complete the entire book. The introduction is also excellent. Even better is the podcast available from the IPDI website.