TWEET IT: Tech-savvy California Lt. Governor @GavinNewsom at NCC to discuss new book #Citizenville on 2/13. @Michael_Nutter moderates. bit.ly/10xi5bF

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CONTACTS: Ashley Berke Lauren Saul Director of Public Relations Public Relations Manager 215.409.6693 215.409.6895 [email protected] [email protected]

CALIFORNIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JOINS THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER TO DISCUSS AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter moderates

Philadelphia, PA (January 22, 2013) – Gavin Newsom, the current Lieutenant , will join the National Constitution Center on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss his much-anticipated debut book, Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government. A thought-provoking blueprint from one of today’s most tech-savvy politicians, Citizenville is Newsom’s guide for how ordinary citizens can use digital tools to dissolve political gridlock and transform American democracy. The conversation will be moderated by Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter. Admission to the program is FREE but advanced reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 215.409.6700 or by visiting www.constitutioncenter.org.

Society is seemingly more engaged than ever with each other on social networking sites like Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook, but disproportionally less engaged with government and government officials. An Associated Press – National Constitution Center poll conducted in 2012 revealed that the federal government and the U.S. Congress continue to rank among the institutions with the lowest levels of trust among Americans, earning only 13% and 11% confidence, respectively, with 23% of Americans expressing no confidence at all in Congress.

In Citizenville, Newsom argues that in a world where people can do anything at the touch of a button, government cannot keep functioning in a twentieth-century mind-set -MORE-

ADD ONE/NEWSOM and politicians must use technology to better connect to their constituents. Newsom enlisted top thinkers and politicians including former President Bill Clinton, media mogul Arianna Huffington, Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, and Yelp co-founder Jeremy Stoppleman, on ways to overcome governmental “technophobia.” Lighthearted but somewhat serious, Newsom suggests there are real life lessons to be learned and implemented from social games including the popular FarmVille (the inspiration for his book title) and Angry Birds.

Gavin Newsom is the forty-ninth lieutenant governor of the State of California, following two terms as mayor of , where he broke new ground integrating technology, citizenship, and governance. Previously, he founded fifteen small businesses in the San Francisco Bay area after attending Santa Clara University. Newsom recently hosted The Gavin Newsom Show on Current TV.

The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of human freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution. Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers. As America's forum for constitutional dialogue, the Center engages diverse, distinguished leaders of government, public policy, journalism and scholarship in timely public discussions and debates. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, the national hub for constitutional education, which offers cutting-edge civic learning resources both onsite and online. Freedom is calling. Answer it at the National Constitution Center. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

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