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The Internet and the Public Sector
The
Internet has clearly transformed private sector enterprise, and
many people believe we're on the verge of a similar
transformation of the public sector. Governments are
increasingly using the Internet for the delivery of
services, information, online transactions, public
education, and even electoral processes. Some public
officials think this is a "revolution" in government, while
others are not so sure -- "e-government" is expensive and it
raises many issues about privacy, security, and open access
to public information. There are some significant models of
improvement in government services online, and there are
some horror stories too.
What
is the future of "e-government?" Will it change the fundamental
relationship between government and citizens? What are the
implications of the Internet for people pursuing a career in
the public sector?
Readings
"Public
Sector: Early Stages of Deep Transformation," by Jane Fountain
and Carlos A. Orosorio-Uzura, on E-res.
"E-Government:
Making Sense of a Revolution," http://www.dad.be/library/pdf/ezgov.pdf
(Requres Adobe Acrobat Reader)
"Blueprint
for the States," National Electronic Commerce Coordinating
Council, at http://www.ec3.org/Downloads/1999/blueprint.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
"Eight
Imperatives for Leaders in a Networked World," Harvard
Policy Group on Networked-Services and Government, at http://www-1.ibm.com/industries/government/ieg/pdf/eightImperative.pdf
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Review
and check links of the Texas Online Web site, at http://www.texas.gov/
Houston,
Texas Online Traffic Map, at
http://traffic.tamu.edu/traffic.html.
The
President's E-Government Initiative, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/.
Look
at the World Bank's E-Government Web site, at http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/egov/.
"State
and Federal E-Government in the United States, 2003," by Darrell
M. West, Brown University, at http://www.insidepolitics.org/egovt03us.html.
"Urban
E-Government, 2003, by Darrell M. West, Brown University, at http://www.insidepolitics.org/egovt03city.html.
Look
at the links on the Center for Digital Government's Best of the
Web Awards, 2003, at http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/center/bestofweb03.php.
Further optional reading
Jane Fountain,
Building the Virtual State: Information Technology and Institutional
Change, Brookings Institution, 2001.
Matti Malkia, Reijo Savolainen, Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko,
E-Transformation in Governance: New Directions in Government, Idea
Group Publishing, 2003.
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