Open Government

Chapter 16. Entrepreneurial Insurgency: Republicans Connect With the American People

Nick Schaper

When it comes to politics and government on the Internet, it’s the Democrats’ Web—the GOP just browses it, right? From Howard Dean’s campaign pioneering online fundraising to candidate-then-President Obama’s team’s top-to-bottom integration of the Web, the conventional thinking is that the left has lapped Republicans in the race to digital dominance. As many of you reading this may know, this perception is hardly the true picture, particularly in Congress. In fact, when I go into work every day, I see a very different story unfolding.

Significantly outnumbered and looking for new, more efficient ways to engage the American public, the current minority party in Congress has moved aggressively into the social media space to not only promote their message but also shine more light on the workings of the majority’s activities. This creative use of the Web to circumvent traditional channels and deliver a clear, unfiltered message to the American people is the hallmark of what has been dubbed entrepreneurial insurgency.

Entrepreneurial Insurgency and Congress

The term itself was coined by Republican Policy Committee Chairman Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan at an elected leadership retreat in January 2009. A major theme of that retreat was how to communicate more effectively using emerging and established social media tools. While there, members of Congress and staff members exchanged ideas ...