Thanks to Andrew Noyes at National Journal’s Tech Daily Dose who pointed out a great innovation by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE). After returning from a recent tour of Iraq, which the Senator helpfully explains is called a CODEL (congressional delegation - getit?), the Senator used Google’s ‘My Maps’ and Google Earth to inform constituents about the tour. Instead of merely recording his experiences on a blog the Senator added blog-like entries to his Iraq CODEL map, including photos and videos.
Mapping devices such as Google Maps, Mapquest and Yahoo Maps have been wildly successful because they provide visual context. Sen. Nelson’s Iraq CODEL map is a terrific example of this. Showing constituents where he has been and what he has done is far more powerful than merely telling them.
Crucially, Sen. Nelson’s Iraq CODEL map also provides accountability, a particular concern in the post-Abramoff era. In the wake of super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s conviction there was a lot of criticism of the many trips taken by congressional members, particularly those funded by lobbyists. A majority of the public perceive these trips as frivolous, but many congressional members argue strongly in favor of them because they see them as important educational opportunities who find it tough to escape the beltway bubble.
There is some truth to this, but with public trust in politicians at an all time low they are reluctant to accept this argument. Sen. Nelson’s Iraq CODEL map provides a way of justifying such trips whether they be at the expense of the taxpayer or lobbyists. By detailing his trip so extensively constituents can be confident Sen. Nelson’s trip was worthwhile.
Kudos to Sen. Nelson and his staff for recognizing this and taking this important step towards open government.
Abi Tatton profiled the map on CNN’s The Situation Room.
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