A list of official government blogs maintained by USA.gov showcases a grand total of 16 blogs. Granted there are many “unofficial” bloggers sharing their thoughts with the world without official sanction. But the official list demonstrates just how conservative the bureaucracy is when it comes to communications with the public.

Try this for perspective. Last count of the federal bureaucracy put the number of civil servants at roughly 1.87 million. If the government were to set a target to get even 5% of federal civil servants blogging it would be a mere 93,484 blogs short! Loosening the reigns over communications takes courage, but in my view a more significant and lively presence in the blogosphere would help agencies build more authentic and trustworthy relationships with citizens.

Have you come across any interesting government blogs recently? Let me know.