Steven Clift
Tue, 13 Jan 2004 10:16:13 -0800
*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://e-democracy.org/do *** *** See something? Send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** E-Government and Democracy Article - Post 6/14 - Legitimacy --------------------------------------------------------------------- By Steven Clift - http://publicus.net/e-government Posted to DoWire, join: http://e-democracy.org/do New e-mail list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] E-Government and Democracy Representation and Citizen Engagement in the Information Age By Steven L. Clift Copyright 2004 - This e-mail may be forwarded freely to anyone. Summary Introduction Initial Conclusions Research Trends Democratic Outcomes Trust and Accountability - Case 1 - Policy Leadership ... LEGITIMACY AND UNDERSTANDING E-government provides an opportunity for governments to explain and demonstrate their legitimacy and provide basic civic education online that will increase citizen understanding of the responsibilities of government. The online provision of easy to read "How it works" information about government functions, programs, and its legal structure along with related links to reliable, up-to-date information, and elected official and government leaders is essential. This educational content could be grouped to form a "Democracy" section available from the main governmental portal. Profile linking to a nation's founding documents such as their constitution and laws might seem dry, but this helps provide a context for the legitimacy of government. Along with links to official sources across government, civic education content can be shared in a user-friendly mix of text, images, sound, and video for students and the general public. One indicator of e-government and democracy success will be the increased understanding online users gain about government. To effectively participate in your government you need access to the ground rules, including information on the proper way to make freedom of information requests that go beyond what governments share online at their discretion. Without these seemingly mundane information components in place, efforts to encourage deeper public participation will lack the necessary foundation. Case 2 - Budget Information Online Citizens are interested in how their tax dollars are spent. Providing access to proposed budgets and spending information are a logical consideration. Making this a meaningful experience for the general citizen while also serving the professionals who use proposed government budgets and spending details is a significant contribution to legitimacy and understanding. Examples of online budget presentations: India - http://www.indiabudget.nic.in Brazil - Youth educational site - http://www.leaozinho.receita.fazenda.gov.br Poland - Public Information Bulletin - With the adoption of a new Freedom of Information law in 2001, the online dissemination of information, including local government spending information, is required - http://www.bip.gov.pl State of Florida, USA - Includes the ability to generate personalized reports from their Governor's recommendations - http://www.ebudget.state.fl.us United States - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/index.html State of Minnesota, USA - Pie charts on government revenue sources and total spending - http://www.taxes.state.mn.us/misc/pubs/wheretaxesgo02.html (Minnesota, like most U.S. states, faced a large budget shortfall in 2003. One demonstration of the ability of the online medium to interactively build understanding of the tough choices government representatives must address is the Budget Balancer exercise developed by Minnesota Public Radio. It is located online from: http://news.mpr.org/features/2003/03/10_newsroom_budgetsim) One area for development is access to actual spending information as approved by parliaments and legislative assemblies. This information remains buried in legislative texts and it is very difficult for citizens to determine the actual funding for specific programs as tax dollars are actually being spent. Case 3 - About Government Canada's "About Government" and "About Canada" sections on their main portal's home page provide a comprehensive set of links that help their citizens navigate their government. "About Government" covers the structure and functions of government and the "About Canada" covers society, land, economy and government from a general interest perspective. English Version: http://canada.gc.ca/main_e.html French Version: http://canada.gc.ca/main_f.html Another example: New Zealand - http://www.govt.nz/en/aboutnz ------------------------------------------------------------ Coming up next ... Summary Introduction Initial Conclusions Research Trends Democratic Outcomes Trust and Accountability Legitimacy and Understanding Citizen Satisfaction and Service XXX Reach and Equitable Access Effective Representation and Decision-Making Participation through Input and Consultation Engagement and Deliberation Conclusion For additional text sections, please visit the "Recent Posts by Date" link on the right: http://www.e-democracy.org/do/ Or join DoWire, the Democracies Online Newswire to receive the next installment when it becomes available. This article is based on research provided to the United Nations for the 2003 World Public Sector Report. Links to that report from: http://www.publicus.net/e-government ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - M: +1.612.203.5181 Join my Democracies Online Newswire: http://e-democracy.org/do My blogging experiment: http://travelscoops.com *** Past Messages, Discussion http://e-democracy.org/do *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To UNSUBSCRIBE instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***