Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 5
Global E-Government
As the internet has spread in size and scope, its applications have included the
interactions between many governments and their citizens. In addition to the growth
of personal and commercial uses of the internet, electronic government, or
e-government, expanded in tandem throughout the world. User-friendly graphical
interfaces expedited this process enormously and opened the possibility of two-way
flows of digital information between citizens and their states (and more recently,
have paved the way for mobile governance, or m-government). There are many
definitions of e-government (Yildiz
2007
), but all essentially point to the use of
information technologies (typically the internet) to facilitate the delivery of gov-
ernment information and services, restructure administrative procedures, and
enhance citizen participation. Not surprisingly, the topic has drawn considerable
scholarly attention (for a review, see Rocheleau
2007
and the International Journal
of Electronic Government Research).
E-government takes a wide variety of forms, ranging from simple, static, one-way
broadcasting of information via webpages to integration (i.e., allowing user input)
that enables two-way flows and citizen feedback (Tapscott
1995
). Often e-govern-
ment is divided into government-to-business (G2B), government-to-government
(G2G), and government-to-citizens (G2C) forms (Fountain
2001
). B2B e-govern-
ment includes digital submissions of bids, contracts, and bills. G2G e-government
enhances communication and interaction among different government agencies. All
of these variations are held to increase accessibility and efficiency; as Tapscott
(
1995
, p. 163) notes,
Internetworked government can overcome the barriers of time and distance to perform the
business of government and give people public information and services when and where
they want them. Governments can use electronic systems to deliver better quality products
to the public more quickly, cost effectively and conveniently.
E-government may also encourage public bureaucracies to modernize their
administrative practices, moving from classic forms based on hierarchical control
to more horizontal, collaborative forms (Ho
2002
; Ndou
2004
). Perhaps most
common
is
G2C
e-government,
which
allows,
for
example,
for
the
digital
