Lessons in Government Action in a Changing Landscape

[Commentary] We saw evidence of two rare government actions: a long debated issue that reaches a critical juncture that is resolved, and an action emanating from a small group charged with evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to a mission, and successfully building the path and political capitol for achieving the mission. We saw these rare actions with the Federal Communications Commission's reclassification decision coming more than a decade after the issue first gained prominence, and several events commemorating the fifth anniversary of the National Broadband Plan.

Not surprisingly, most of the media attention was on the reclassification decision. The real world impact of the two efforts, however, provides an interesting view on how policy battles can make change manifest in the world. This is not to suggest that Net Neutrality and the National Broadband Plan were in conflict. Both reflect the government and public's belief that the Internet is fundamentally important to he economy and society, and both wrestle with how to protect long-standing principles of equity, diversity, and innovation, when the economic and technological substructure shifts.

[Blair Levin is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program of the Brookings Institution]