A Primer on E-Government: Sectors, Stages, Opportunities, and Challenges of Online Governance

Abstract

Electronic government (e-government) intersects many legislative issues, including privacy, digital divide (the lack of equal access to computers, whether due to a lack of financial resources or necessary skills), public access to government information, service delivery, and information security. E-government solutions are prominently represented in efforts to improve the management and efficiency of government information technology resources. To help policymakers discern e-government initiatives relative to their role in various issues, this report identifies and defines the principal e-government sectors and stages of development. It also outlines some of the opportunities and challenges associated with e-government. Some observers define e-government in terms of specific actions such as using a kiosk to receive job information, or applying for Social Security benefits through a web site. Other observers define e-government more generally as automating the delivery of government services. While perceptions vary widely, one organization, The Gartner Group, summarizes e-government as the continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation, and governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the Internet, and new media.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 111 citations exist upstream.