Digital Government

Abstract

Digital Government refers to the use of information technology to support government operations, engage citizens, and provide government services, as the Digital Government Society declares in its mission statement. While modern information technologies provide the necessary underpinnings expressed by the terms “digital” or the outdated “electronic,” for this public-sector phenomenon, technology in and by itself is not sufficient to capture the scope and various dimensions of Digital Government, which, unobserved at first, and later even disputed, continue to have increasingly transformational influences on the business of government in all its aspects, on all levels, and in all branches. In this disquisition, the evolution of Digital Government is portrayed and discussed from its humble beginnings to the intermediary present along with a projection and a preview of where this fascinating multidisciplinary domain of research and practice might lead in the next two decades. It is claimed that the transformation of the business of government is just beginning, and it is argued that major and undeniable instances of transition can be observed in the next decade.