“e-Government”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-government
The first term I searched using Wikipedia was of course, “e-government.” The topic holds its own page containing a definition, brief summary, pros & cons section, and a UN e-government readiness index. The definition of e-government is brief and concise, quickly citing the various forms of e-government such as government-to-citizen, government-to-business, government-to-government, and government-to-employees. Where this site is lacking is its discussion on e-government’s pros and cons. This isn’t so much a discussion as it is a definition. Also, nowhere on this page is a description of e-government’s future in America, especially with the Obama administration in power now. This page is good for a quick definition but not for deeper understanding of the topic. If I were to add to it, I would certainly bring up the new administration’s role and plans for e-government. But I would also want to build on the article I found from the Economist that brought up the negative factor of the government possible having too much power if built improperly.
“Campaign Management Tools”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_campaigning
Talk about brief! This page offers little more than a handful of paragraphs on an important topic. The use of technology by politicians is mentioned but not analyzed. There is MUCH room for growth and contribution to this page in Wikipedia, specifically, voter tracking and databases. This is a field that interests me because of all the power politicians possess, but very few know about it extent. I think a discussion of the campaign and political blogs could also benefit this page as well. There is no current information, not discussion of the 04 or 08 elections, nothing in context of pop culture of anything.
Various searches on the topic wielded similar results, many definitions but little discussion. This is where our group could contribute to Wikipedia; maybe even provide links to other blogs and discussion boards.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
A Controversial, Technological World
In my last entry I chose to search through Yahoo! because in searches based on relevance. Since I needed to find information on the topic I thought this would be the best way to go. This time around I wanted to find more opinions and controversy surrounding the topic of e-government. To do this I chose Google because I wanted to see the most popular and most linked sites. I wanted to read what most people are reading to find and give information on this topic. The main search phrases I used were “e-government controversy,” e-government and campaigning,” and finally “e-government controversy U.S.”
The first site I found that helped me was… http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/ericjsinrod/2004-06-30-sinrod_x.htm, titled: “The Pros and Cons of e-Government” by Eric J. Sinrod
The article is of course funded by USA Today, an objective news organization. The article isn’t exactly current (June 2004) but I thought it was published at an interesting time. It was written as America was approaching the 2004 presidential election and technology was beginning to play a large roll in politics. The pros that Sinrod discusses are basically easier access to the government’s plans and actions. Citizens can begin to play a greater roll in government, almost to a real-time interaction level. This can prove as a great asset to the American population in order to serve the very essence of a democracy. But Sinrod warns that in order to maintain a true democracy, we cannot forget those that do not have access to the internet or are not tech savvy. Sinrod backs this up by showing the numbers of citizens with access to the internet as well as a table of the medium of which Americans interact with the government (e-mail, phone, letters, etc.). I think this article gives an effective overview of the subject but I wish he would have discussed the government’s point on the matter. Basically, the government’s plan to make sure they include everyone in this technological world. I could probably find this information at a government web site.
The second site was…
http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?STORY_ID=10638105
“The Good, the Bad, and the Inevitable” an article in the Economist
This article was written in February 2008 and is of course funded by the Economist. This article took the business perspective of the pros and cons of e-government in America. One point that I found particularly interesting in this article is how e-government essentially turn bureaucracy inside out. It is kind of like how corporations use electronic customer services to sort out the customer’s point of view and create a better product. This allows power to switch from the hands of bureaucrats to consumers. This is what e-government could do for American citizens; basically expose the government’s inner workings to the people. The cons however the Economist claim are mainly; the government has spent too much money on e-government and hasn’t produced a good product. It’s about quantity not quality. Another interesting point is the comparison to Orwell’s 1984.If eventually e-government becomes almost exclusive in how citizens deal with the government and public services, then the government begins to control the citizen, not vise versa. This is a frightening notion and certainly one to consider as this system is being developed. I found this article brought me a fresh and well thought-out perspective on the subject. Again however, I would like to read the government’s side and how, if they have considered it, they plan to avoid this 1984 destiny.
The first site I found that helped me was… http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/ericjsinrod/2004-06-30-sinrod_x.htm, titled: “The Pros and Cons of e-Government” by Eric J. Sinrod
The article is of course funded by USA Today, an objective news organization. The article isn’t exactly current (June 2004) but I thought it was published at an interesting time. It was written as America was approaching the 2004 presidential election and technology was beginning to play a large roll in politics. The pros that Sinrod discusses are basically easier access to the government’s plans and actions. Citizens can begin to play a greater roll in government, almost to a real-time interaction level. This can prove as a great asset to the American population in order to serve the very essence of a democracy. But Sinrod warns that in order to maintain a true democracy, we cannot forget those that do not have access to the internet or are not tech savvy. Sinrod backs this up by showing the numbers of citizens with access to the internet as well as a table of the medium of which Americans interact with the government (e-mail, phone, letters, etc.). I think this article gives an effective overview of the subject but I wish he would have discussed the government’s point on the matter. Basically, the government’s plan to make sure they include everyone in this technological world. I could probably find this information at a government web site.
The second site was…
http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?STORY_ID=10638105
“The Good, the Bad, and the Inevitable” an article in the Economist
This article was written in February 2008 and is of course funded by the Economist. This article took the business perspective of the pros and cons of e-government in America. One point that I found particularly interesting in this article is how e-government essentially turn bureaucracy inside out. It is kind of like how corporations use electronic customer services to sort out the customer’s point of view and create a better product. This allows power to switch from the hands of bureaucrats to consumers. This is what e-government could do for American citizens; basically expose the government’s inner workings to the people. The cons however the Economist claim are mainly; the government has spent too much money on e-government and hasn’t produced a good product. It’s about quantity not quality. Another interesting point is the comparison to Orwell’s 1984.If eventually e-government becomes almost exclusive in how citizens deal with the government and public services, then the government begins to control the citizen, not vise versa. This is a frightening notion and certainly one to consider as this system is being developed. I found this article brought me a fresh and well thought-out perspective on the subject. Again however, I would like to read the government’s side and how, if they have considered it, they plan to avoid this 1984 destiny.
Monday, January 19, 2009
How e-Government Works
E-government is essentially the use of technology in order to bring efficient communication between branches of government and citizens. New electronic systems are put in place in order to decrease paperwork, increase productivity and efficiency, and save money. Not only does this attempt to make government function effectively, but President Barack Obama has pledged to use electronic resources to make our government mare accessible and transparent to it citizens. This would allow real time participation by citizens regarding government spending, earmarks, and current legislation. The purpose of making government policies and actions more accessible to the public is to make government officials more accountable for their actions. President Obama has made it a priority to utilize internet and technology throughout his campaign. He sees it as a platform to bring change to the White House. He ran a campaign funded by the people and because of their funds, he gave back directly by communicating to them through the internet.
In order to find information on this issue I used the Yahoo! search engine. I decided on this search engine because it searches based on relevance rather than popularity. Since I knew e-government and policy isn’t exactly a widely popular topic, and I needed credible sources, Yahoo! seemed like the way to go. My terms used were: “e-government,” “e-government definition.” electronic government Obama,” and “Obama campaign strategies.”
I found many definitions of e-government and Obama’s policies; but the two most helpful were:
http://transitioningovernance.org/enter/category/electronic-government/
and…
http://www.cio.com/article/470589/Web_Experts_Obama_S_Vision_for_E_Government_Will_Take_Work?source=home_ln
Transition in Governance is a reliable site sponsored by an organization that strives to analyze the election and issues surrounding the current and upcoming administrations. The specific article I read was titled, “Obama’s Open Government Agenda: Is I Enough?” It was written in December 2007 and discusses Obama’s e-government policies and the likeliness of their effectiveness. The main issue not discussed here that would have been helpful is Obama’s use of technology in his campaign for president and how it helped him win the election. This analysis and discussion could paint a picture of Obama’s experience in utilizing technology and how this experience will help him bring it to the White House. I am sure that magazine websites have plenty on Obama’s campaigning techniques and will provide me with more information than necessary.
CIO is a business magazine that works to inform technology and business leaders of current technological trends and how they affect the business world. This article, “Web Experts: Obama's Vision for E-Government Will Take Work” questions the ease of Obama’s e-government plan; stating that it will provide more obstacles than initially anticipated. This site appears to be quite credible but is certainly tailored to a specific audience. Because of this, the article did not spend any time discussing the definition of e-government because it assumes its audience already knows.
In order to find information on this issue I used the Yahoo! search engine. I decided on this search engine because it searches based on relevance rather than popularity. Since I knew e-government and policy isn’t exactly a widely popular topic, and I needed credible sources, Yahoo! seemed like the way to go. My terms used were: “e-government,” “e-government definition.” electronic government Obama,” and “Obama campaign strategies.”
I found many definitions of e-government and Obama’s policies; but the two most helpful were:
http://transitioningovernance.org/enter/category/electronic-government/
and…
http://www.cio.com/article/470589/Web_Experts_Obama_S_Vision_for_E_Government_Will_Take_Work?source=home_ln
Transition in Governance is a reliable site sponsored by an organization that strives to analyze the election and issues surrounding the current and upcoming administrations. The specific article I read was titled, “Obama’s Open Government Agenda: Is I Enough?” It was written in December 2007 and discusses Obama’s e-government policies and the likeliness of their effectiveness. The main issue not discussed here that would have been helpful is Obama’s use of technology in his campaign for president and how it helped him win the election. This analysis and discussion could paint a picture of Obama’s experience in utilizing technology and how this experience will help him bring it to the White House. I am sure that magazine websites have plenty on Obama’s campaigning techniques and will provide me with more information than necessary.
CIO is a business magazine that works to inform technology and business leaders of current technological trends and how they affect the business world. This article, “Web Experts: Obama's Vision for E-Government Will Take Work” questions the ease of Obama’s e-government plan; stating that it will provide more obstacles than initially anticipated. This site appears to be quite credible but is certainly tailored to a specific audience. Because of this, the article did not spend any time discussing the definition of e-government because it assumes its audience already knows.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Welcome
Welcome to Kenny's blog discussing... Campaigning and e-government 2.0/Political Participation, Government Transparency and Accountability
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