Governance and Information Technology ─ From Electronic Government to Information Government

Developments in information and communication technology and networked computing overthe past two decades have given rise to the notion of electronic government, most commonly used torefer to the delivery of public services over the Internet. This volume argues for a shift from thenarrow focus of "electronic government" on technology and transactions to the broaderperspective of information government--the information flows within the public sector, between thepublic sector and citizens, and among citizens--as a way to understand the changing nature ofgoverning and governance in an information society. The chapters discuss the interplay betweenrecent technological developments and evolving information flows, and the implications of differentinformation flows for efficiency, political mobilization, and democratic accountability. Thechapters are accompanied by short case studies from around the world, which cover such topics aselectronic government efforts in Singapore and Switzerland, the U.S Environmental ProtectionAgency's effort to solicit input on planned regulations over the Internet, and online activism"cyberprotesting" globalization.ContributorsRobert D. Behn, Maria Christina Binz-Scharf, HerbertBurkert, Lorenzo Cantoni, Cary Coglianese, Martin J. Eppler, Jane E. Fountain, Monique Girard,Ake Gronlund, Matthew Hindman, Edwin Lau, David Lazer, Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, Ines Mergel,Gopal Raman, David Stark, Sandor Vegh, Darrell M. West Viktor Mayer-Schonberger is AssociateProfessor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University andchairs the Rueschlikon Conferences on Information Policy. David Lazer is Associate Professor ofPublic Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Director and founder of the Program onNetworked Governance at Harvard University. He is the editor of DNA and the Criminal Justice System:The Technology of Justice (MIT Press, 2004).

Viktor Mayer-Schonberger is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and chairs the Rueschlikon Conferences on Information Policy.