A Digital Divide?

As the IT industry's presence has grown in politics, partisan lines have blurred. Some lawmakers have jumped on the high-tech train and are scrapping to keep government regulation away from the Web, while others are going against the flow, pushing for Internet taxing and heavy privacy laws. Both sides have a healthy mix of liberals and conservatives, young and old.

"A large part of technology has torn down partisanship in American politics," says Doug Koelemay, vice president at the Northern Virginia Technology Council. "Right now, it's more about progressive vs. traditional."

Some of the biggest IT supporters in Congress serve in technology-heavy sectors. Congressman Jim Moran (D--Va.) resides in northern Virginia, which is quickly becoming the East Coast counterpart to Silicon Valley. "The principal employer here five years ago was the federal government," Moran says. "Now it's private technology."

Congressman Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), a fellow IT advocate in another high-tech district, says it's difficult for lawmakers to keep up with the rapid evolution of the industry. "We've all joked in Congress how hard it is to understand all the technology and keep up with the changes," he says. "But the average legislator doesn't know much about IT."

It has also been said there is a cultural difference between IT and government as well. Technologists wake up in the morning and look for ways to change the world, while government wakes up in the morning and works to keep it the same.

"The lack of understanding is a very serious problem, but only if we continue to make it a problem," Moran says.

Many tech-friendly legislators are encouraging their colleagues to meet with technology leaders and get to know the industry. But, as Koelemay says, "there are still some lawmakers who want to drive down the highway at 55 mph in the left lane."