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ABSTRACT
The aim of electronic government (e-government) is to increase the convenience and accessibility of government services and information. E-government's past emphasized the automation of routine government operations. Modern e-government centers on Web-based delivery of information and services. As the Internet moves away from version 1.0, the author examines the literature for evidence and best practices on the adoption and use to date of Web 2.0 technologies in government. Despite evidence that Web 2.0 technologies have the potential to enhance knowledge management and citizen engagement, there remains a weak body of evidence on its adoption and usage. The essay explores the early evidence and suggests a path towards realization of the promise that e-government 2.0 holds. The path involves support and collaboration from a diverse set of stakeholders to study the impact of, as well as develop best practices for, using Web 2.0 technologies to improve government services and public administration.
Keywords
Electronic Government, Public Administration, Web 2.0, Social Media, Weblog, Wiki, Knowledge Management, Citizen Engagement, Electronic Democracy
INTRODUCTION
Electronic government (e-government) aims to increase the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens, businesses, and governmental units (Carter and Belanger, 2005). This is generally achieved through the use of information and communications technologies (ICT), a broad class of technologies including computers, automation equipment, the Internet, and mobile devices. Examples of e-government range across all levels of government and include: optical recognition software to read United State Postal Service addresses on letters when sorting them into bins; public health agency dissemination of timely information on emergent health care issues (Cassa et al., 2008), including the recent H1N1 virus (Indiana University, 2009); the Obama Administration's open government directive, including www.data.gov where public data sets and tools can be downloaded by anyone; and a national, integrated Kenyan government information system to automate payroll, promotions, recruitment, and other personnel functions (Gichoya, 2005; Ogega 2007). Many modern e-government strategies focus primarily on Internet-based ICT and applications (UN and ASPA, 2001; Wood et al., 2008).
The previous examples suggest that e-government is pervasive in the public sector. They further suggest that to date e-government has largely been focused on the automation of mainly administrative functions (Sinclair, 2007). The growth in government automation demonstrates progress, yet adoption...