Government Information Policy Research Articles

Political ideology and information technology in government online communication

Government agencies are directed to communicate objective and scientific information to the public, but studies show that political ideology may play a role in how much information governments provide. In this paper I argue that the ideology of a head administrator, and its alignment with agency mission, can restrict the kinds of information that government agencies provide, which may or may not amount to a type of regulatory capture. This impact may also be moderated by the specific media in which the communication takes place. I explore this theory via a case study of the United States Environmental Protection Agency online communication over a period of 32 months, during the years of 2013–2014, under the Democratic Administrator Gina McCarthy, and 2017–2018, under the Republican Administrator Scott Pruitt, via topical terms and document analyses of Twitter posts and web news releases. The information—topics, policies and issues—remain largely consistent across administrations and media channels, but notable distinctions are observed that point to the political ideologies of administrators in office, including a restriction of relevant scientific information on climate change during the misaligned administrator. Moreover, results show differences across media types which may reflect speed and popularity affordances of Twitter compared to website communication. I conclude by discussing the importance of policies to protect against ideological partisanship, and how social media may be better used as tools in government information policy and online communication.

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Abstract. The article deals with the problematic issues of information security in Ukraine at the present stage of its development. The main priorities of government policy on issues of national security in the information sphere and the state of legal regulation of such activities are analyzed. The system of public authorities that form and implement the government information policy and which are designed to ensure the information security of the state is considered. The levels of ensuring information security and the need to legally consolidate such concepts as information security of the government, information security of society, information security of an organization (legal entity), and information security of a person were determined. It is noted that the information security system of the government is an integral part of the national security system of the country. This system is a set of authorities, local government, non-state structures and citizens, which must effectively confront information threats in modern conditions and consistently carry out the activities to ensure information security based on common legal norms. Key words: information security, information infrastructure, government information policy, threats to information security, cybersecurity, national security, national security strategy.

Does CAGE framework predict COVID-19 infection?

This paper identifies the national factors related to the number of COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 deaths in each country using the CAGE framework in the international business field. Multiple regression analyses are conducted at multiple time points, with the number of COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 in each country as the dependent variables and cultural factors, administrative and political factors, geographic factors, and economic factors of each country as the independent variables. The analyses reveal the following four points: (1) The cultural, geographical, and economic factors are not significantly associated with the number of COVID-19 infections or deaths. (2) The Administrative and political factors (corruption, government information policy) are negatively associated with the number of COVID-19 infections. (3) None of the factors are associated with the number of COVID-19 deaths. (4) The significance of the correlation between independent and dependent variables changes with time.

Communication between government and business entities and challenges of creation of “digital government”

The present paper consists of two parts. In the first part, the issues of communication between government and business entities have been considered. The role of the communication for the modern society development has been assessed. Implementation of concepts of open government, public participation and corporate governance are the requirements to the governments who would like to “keep in touch” with business entities. In many countries, cooperation, awareness and continuous interaction not only with citizens, but also with business entities became important factors of changes in the system of management, especially in the government information policy. In such countries, a shift is observed of regulatory function toward more open and more interactive interaction. Business entities have a real chance now to influence the improvement and development of public policy and management system. The publications on this subject mainly those published abroad, have been analysed. A particular emphasis is on the characteristics of communication channels: reliability, speed and effectiveness (efficiency). In the second part of the paper, the issues of creation of “digital government”, as well as special aspects of creation of “digital government” in developing countries have been considered, although in many ways the processes of “digitalization” of government organs are characteristic for the developed countries as well. It has been noted, that the implementation of digital information technologies and digital communications in the public sector organization would have a favorable impact on the way the public services are provided. With proper implementation, the digital government may decrease the cost of provision of public services and establish conditions for better contacts with citizens, especially in distant and less populated regions. Digital government can also influence the creation of better transparency and accountability of the decisions made, stimulate the development of local digital culture and promote the development of democracy. To determine the efficiency of any particular act of communication the concept of “communicative result” is introduced. The cultural dependence of the communication result has been noticed.

Advocating for Libraries’ Government Information Services

I was pleased to accept editor Laura Sare’s invitation to introduce myself and to encourage everyone to join in our continued advocacy for libraries’ government information services. I am assistant director of government relations on ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy unit, based in ALA’s Washington, DC, office. I have lead ALA’s work on government information policy since starting in that role in 2017.

Samorząd terytorialny jako uczestnik komunikacji społecznej

The author considers local government as a participant of social communication, mainly by means of its public communications. He emphasizes two fundamental forms of public communication, formal and informal. He touches upon the political foundations of local government information policies, which implement a specific political vision of the authorities. The author concludes by saying that in the field of information policy a unit of local government cannot be treated as a passive executor of statutory tasks (in their formal and legal aspects) but should rather be perceived as an active creator that runs its information policies on the basis of its own local policy (the political and legal aspects).

Creating linked datasets for SME energy-assessment evidence-building: Results from the U.S. Industrial Assessment Center Program

Lack of information is commonly cited as a market failure resulting in an energy-efficiency gap. Government information policies to fill this gap may enable improvements in energy efficiency and social welfare because of the externalities of energy use. The U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is one such policy intervention, providing no-cost assessments to small and medium enterprises (SME). The IAC program has assembled a wealth of data on these assessments, but the database does not include information about participants after the assessment or on non-participants. This study addresses that lack by creating a new linked dataset using the public IAC and non-public data at the Census Bureau. The IAC database excludes detail needed for an exact match, so the study developed a linking methodology to account for uncertainty in the matching process. Based on the linking approach, a difference in difference analysis for SME that received an assessment was done; plants that received an assessment improve their performance over time, relative to industry peers that did not. This new linked dataset is likely to shed even more light on the impact of the IAC and similar programs in advancing energy efficiency.

Modeling of role of public leader, open government information and public service performance in Indonesia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between public leadership and open government information to public service’s performance in Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachThe object of the study is Jakarta Capital City Government, which is divided into five areas of administrative city and one administrative district, samples of 178 respondents are obtained. The analysis tools use the moderator regression analysis. The assumption of linearity is not met, and the alternative tools use nonparametric regression. This research uses the nonparametric moderator regression analysis: Truncated Spline.FindingsThe role of public leader has a significant and positive effect on public service performance, on different levels of role of public leader, moderated by the implementation of open government information. In the high level of open government information, it has a higher slope than the low level of open government information, in the range of moderate to high-level leader of public leaders. On the other hand, in the low level of open government information, it has a higher slope than the high level of open government information, in the range of moderate to high-level leader of public leaders. This shows that the higher implementation of open government information, the stronger the influence of role of public leader on public service performance.Originality/valueNo previous study has studied comprehensively the Moderation Effect of Open Government Information Policy in relationship between public leadership to public service performance, especially in Indonesia.

Legislation Committee Update

As the new Chair, it is my hope that GODORT’s Legislation Committee can, in a structured and deliberative fashion, help our membership become more engaged advocates for the broad access to civic/government information resources and services. The Legislation Committee can help librarians—whether GODORT members or not—recognize how the seemingly multifaceted initiatives other private and public interest groups attempt to shape government information policy—and why our members now to become more directly involved in these conversations and efforts.

The roles of users in shaping transitions to new energy systems

Current government information policies and market-based instruments aimed at influencing the energy choices of consumers often ignore the fact that consumer behaviour is not fully reducible to individuals making rational conscious decisions all the time. The decisions of consumers are largely configured by shared routines embedded in socio-technical systems. To achieve a transition towards a decarbonized and energy-efficient system, an approach that goes beyond individual consumer choice and puts shared routines and system change at its centre is needed. Here, adopting a transitions perspective, we argue that consumers should be reconceptualized as users who are important stakeholders in the innovation process shaping new routines and enacting system change. We review the role of users in shifts to new decarbonized and energy-efficient systems and provide a typology of user roles.

Government Information Policy in the Era of Big Data

AbstractReliable public sector information serves as a pivotal source for big data. Government postal codes, for instance, have been crucial for predicting demographics. Confidentiality, however, may be at risk when combined with other sources. Public sector information not only describes government activity but contains material, such as campaign finance filings, produced by outside sources. How does information production impact policy concerns if material is reused for big data projects? Information production is analyzed using a framework of five methods of production. The framework considers information that the public sector writes, publishes, manages, produces through research, and compiles through legal mandates. This paper examines the policy implications of using U.S. federal public sector information in big data projects.

A Policymaking Process “Tug-of-War”: National Information Security Policies in Comparative Perspective

ABSTRACT There is tension between the ideal of government transparency and the need to protect vital information. What types of information do governments protect on national security grounds? What arguments do governments use to justify the protection of this information? What will influence an open government information policy as opposed to a closed information policy? Through an examination of more than 250 information security–related policies from around the world, it is clear that (a) all governments limit the flows of information, (b) there are different reasons for this, and (c) the reasons are not always correlated to government type. In other words, sometimes democracies and authoritarian countries limit the same types of information issues. The policies and policy discussions are dependent on a variety of actors and which actor(s) wield the strongest influence at the time, which makes them often get caught up in a policy “tug-of-war” that most often results in incremental policy change and implementation.

Public acceptance of the Cyber Taipei initiative and cyber-government services

The rapid development of ICT (information and communication technology) in Taipei has aided the formation of an information city, resulting in a gradually changing urban living model as well as changes in the traditional services provided to the people by the government. However, the causal relationship between the promotion of information city construction and the city's effectiveness is difficult to examine using methods such as traditional cost effectiveness or satisfaction surveys. Understanding the thoughts and evaluation of the users in various government services is an important tool for the continuous promotion or amending of information city planning. This study uses the “Cyber Taipei” initiative to explore whether the cyber-government services set up by the Taipei City government meet users' demands and to understand, through the technology acceptance model (TAM), users' perceived cognition regarding the various system services. The results show that the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) of cyber-government services will both affect users' usage intentions. Therefore, to enhance the overall effectiveness of government information policy, in addition to considering the compatibility and practicality of a web interface, the customer-oriented philosophy shall be used as the foundation and the public demands as the goal to fulfill the concept of public convenience services.

Perceptions of transparency of government policymaking: A cross-national study

Abstract In the past two decades, governments from around the world have adopted access-to-information laws at a rate unlike any other time in history. This reform in government information policy parallels a global movement of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, which have pressed countries to advance the norm of transparency. Competition in the global economy has also provided a strong incentive for governments to show openness, as business leaders and donor nations contend that access-to-information is critical for efficient markets. Given the growing interaction between governments and transnational firms, and the global emphasis on access-to-information, this cross-national study examines the relationship between business executives' perceptions of transparency in government policymaking, and several indicators suggested in the literature as means to advance the flow of information about government. The study found countries that respondents ranked as ‘most transparent’ had significantly higher levels of access-to-information laws, telecommunication infrastructure, E-Government, free press, and higher income levels, than countries with low transparency levels. Our regression findings indicate that telecommunications infrastructure and free press influenced the perceptions of government transparency in a positive and significant way. The evidence indicates that democracy did not contribute toward the perceptions of transparency. The findings also suggest that nations aiming for openness by adopting access-to-information laws and engaging in E-Government may signal to businesses that their governments are aware of the international norm of transparency—though these conditions are not necessarily sufficient to advance the perceptions of government transparency.

Government information policy research: Importance, approaches, and realities

Information policy research is a critical tool in the arsenal of library and information science researchers. As developments occur in information access, use, technology, and management, information policies require more attention and research. The article describes the nature of government information policy and policy research, characteristics of policy research, and examples of research methods and approaches that can be used. The differences between textbook-based policy research and how policy research might be implemented in action are also discussed, as are the inter-connectedness of information policies and ways to describe impacts of information policies. The article recommends that researchers and professionals give greater education, training, and professional association attention to using policy research on a day-to-day basis.

The Efficacy of Information Policy: A Review of Archon Fung, Mary Graham, and David Weil's Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency

The economics of information has identified an important role for government to correct situations where competition is not sufficient to reveal valuable information to consumers. Archon Fung, Mary Graham, and David Weil's Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency provides a thorough discussion of government-mandated disclosure policies. I use their book to frame an empirical assessment of whether these—and other information policies—have significantly reduced the costs to consumers created by imperfect information. My conclusion, which calls for more research, is that government information policies have amounted to weak solutions in search of a problem.

Federal government information policy and public policy analysis: A brief overview

The information policy of the federal government of the United States has been evolving for well over 200 years, with antecedents in the British, colonial, and Confederation experiences. Having a variety of themes, (e.g., accountability, records management, accessibility, security, and privacy), it is a policy of complexity, both in terms of interrelationships among its themes and political dynamics, which is to acknowledge that all three branches have contributed to its substance, and that balance among competing forces has been neither easily realized nor maintained. Moreover, it concerns values of particular importance for a democracy, such as realizing a government that is accountable to the citizenry and protects the security of the nation. It continues to evolve, adjust, and change due to a variety of factors, new political environments and information technology being among the foremost. Policy analysis, discussed here in several dimensions, may be applied to understand not only information policy of the past and the present, but also what might be modified, adjusted, or created anew for the future. Ultimately, in all instances of policy analysis application, the end result, hopefully, will be more informed decision making.

Strategical communication as a method

This article presents a way of thinking and planning strategic communications step by step. But even though the term step is used, the process must not always follow the sequence shown here. Often it may be necessary to go backwards and forwards to adjust the steps in relation to each other. This applies not least to the choice of target groups, the determination of sub-objectives, the selection of the main procedures and the level of ambition. But regardless of the sequence, no step should be omitted. The overall focus is effectiveness in order to what extent objectives is reached. This article is based upon my experience and as responsible for exercising approximately 50 strategies primarily within the public sector, in addition to use of The Norwegian Central Government Information Policy. Which is as a fact the only public information policy in the whole world which is implemented. Of this reason this article could be interpreted rather normative than empirical theoretic.

Instructional practices in Canadian public libraries

This article reports on a national survey of information literacy (IL) instruction in urban and rural public libraries in Canada and public librarians' attitudes towards these services. The survey is the first phase of a study exploring the actual and potential role of Canadian public libraries in developing the public's IL skills. Despite an urgent need to develop such skills, and expectations that public libraries fulfill that role (specifically articulated by the federal government through its “Connecting Canadians” initiative), the real experiences of public librarians and of public library customers may not bear out this expectation. The survey analyzes the role of the public library, as a non-profit institution and primary stakeholder, in advancing federal government information policy. In addition, the study gives voice to a community of professionals expected to fulfill an important federal policy function, but provided with few resources with which to do so.

Public information problems in the implementation of public policy: The long road of the reflecting license plate in Belgium

Abstract During the last ten years in Belgium, government information policies have put public information provisions at the center of policymaking. However, the contemporary daily practice of public information provision tends to be seen as incidental to the policymaking process. The introduction of the reflecting license plate in Belgium is a prime example of a case in which little attention has been paid to the quality of public information during the ongoing policy process. First, we define the notion, quality of public information, as a necessary condition for the successful implementation of policy objectives. We then chronologically outline the main policy intentions and decisions, and we describe the factors hindering the smooth introduction of the license plate, focusing on those related to information provision. Finally, we examine whether the current public management reform in the Belgian Federal administration can improve the quality of information supplied during the ongoing policy process.