President Obama hopes technology can make you love the government again

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last updated 16 June 2015

Amid news of a massive federal data breach, President Obama discussed the need to "yank government" into present day technology in a wide-ranging interview with Fast Company published Monday.

"What we've tried to do with the U.S. digital team — and our whole conception of technology generally — is to identify some big projects that will impact a lot of people," the president said. "We know there are very specific areas where, if we leverage the best technology teams in the world and we pair them up with some really effective government managers, then we can get a really big payoff." He offered distribution of veterans benefits and green card and loan processing as examples of systems that could be improved by updated technology.

But aside from streamlining government processes, Obama expressed hope that technology could repair the relationship between the American government and its citizens. "It's no secret that many people feel alienated and distant from government," he said. "I think the opportunities for us to think about how tech can empower citizens and make them feel ownership for their government is really important."