I think the smartphone really changes the game for public involvement in government functioning. With a high quality video camera in their hands, citizens can capture videos of police brutality, corruption and malpractices, and force the government to take action, force politicians to react.

Whether it is racial profiling and violence by the police in the US, or electoral malpractices in India, a viral video ties the hands of the cops, bureaucracy and overall legal machinery.

What CCTV could not achieve in 45 years of existence, smartphones+social media are achieving in 10 years! Long live the network effect, and the power of the common man!