This textbook reviews and systematically presents the use of the Internet in public administration and politics. Further, it employs a process-oriented layer model to define the opportunities for exchange and participation for all stakeholder groups, covering the following topics: eAssistance, eProcurement, eService, eContracting, eSettlement, eCollaboration, eDemocracy, and eCommunity. In turn, real-world case studies demonstrate the practical applications in industry, administration and research. The second edition of this book has been completely revised and extended, and includes several new case studies. It offers a valuable asset for students in Business, Economics and Political Sciences courses, as well as practitioners interested in emerging opportunities for digital exchange and participation in the knowledge society.

This book explores the main elements of e-Democracy, the term normally used to describe the implementation of democratic government processes by electronic means. It provides insights into the main technological and human issues regarding governance, government, participation, inclusion, empowerment, procurement and, last but not least, ethical and privacy issues. Its main aim is to bridge the gap between technological solutions, their successful implementation, and the fruitful utilization of the main set of e-Services totally or partially delivered by governments or non-government organizations. Today, various parameters actively influence e-Services’ success or failure: cultural aspects, organisational issues, bureaucracy and workflows, infrastructure and technology in general, user habits, literacy, capacity or merely interaction design. This includes having a significant population of citizens who are willing and able to adopt and use online services; as well as developing the managerial and technical capability to implement applications that meet citizens’ needs. This book helps readers understand the mutual dependencies involved; further, a selection of success stories and failures, duly commented on, enables readers to identify the right approach to innovation in governmental e-Services. With its balanced humanistic and technological approach, the book mainly targets public authorities, decision-makers, stakeholders, solution developers, and graduate students.

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: Research on electronic democracy is still limited to a number of institutions, researchers and academics. Nevertheless, interest in the topic grows and new trends and best practices arise. The aim of this thesis was to elaborate on the founding principles of eDemocracy, to build a model for designing eDemocracy initiatives and to examine the current status quo of eDemocracy projects within the European Commission. This thesis is divided into two parts: a theoretical part and an empirical part. In order to build a solid foundation of the core principles of eDemocracy the thesis links reform mechanisms, which were developed under the New Public Management efforts, to economical and institutional theories that scientifically support the necessity for new ways of governance. It becomes clear that the evolution of eDemocracy is an outcome of diverse political and economical influences and that eDemocracy can substantiate efforts to re-invent governmental work processes. The first part of this thesis is based on an extensive literature research from various academic disciplines, including Economics, Institutional Theory, Information Technology and Political Studies. Sources for the theoretical part come from academic literature, academic journals and documents retrieved from the World Wide Web. The theories examined and the conclusions drawn upon these theories serve the purpose to gain a deeper understanding for the need to reform the public sector and to improve its outcomes. Further, those findings allow us to incorporate eDemocracy into the eGovernment and eGovernance efforts, which are aimed to digitize governmental work processes. The model developed in part one acts as a benchmark for the examination of current public online engagement efforts on a European-wide level. The European Commission s web site, http://europa.eu.int, is scrutinized, in order to examine the current level of design and operability of the Commission s efforts in engaging the public in decision- and policy-making. For the evaluation of the success of these efforts, insights gathered from a personal interview with officials from the Interactive Policy Making team of the European Commission are incorporated. Additionally, online documents on the European Commission s official web site are examined that substantiate the Commission s intent to promote eDemocracy efforts and to make online engagement tools more accessible and more effective in the [...]

This open access book explores how digital tools and social media technologies can contribute to better participation and involvement of EU citizens in European politics. By analyzing selected representative e-participation projects at the local, national and European governmental levels, it identifies the preconditions, best practices and shortcomings of e-participation practices in connection with EU decision-making procedures and institutions. The book features case studies on parliamentary monitoring, e-voting practices, and e-publics, and offers recommendations for improving the integration of e-democracy in European politics and governance. Accordingly, it will appeal to scholars as well as practitioners interested in identifying suitable e-participation tools for European institutions and thus helps to reduce the EU’s current democratic deficit. This book is a continuation of the book “Electronic Democracy in Europe” published by Springer.

The reference book reviews and presents systematically the use of Internet in administration and politics. A process-oriented layer model defines the options of exchange and participation for all claim groups covering these topics: eAssistance, eProcurement, eService, eContracting, eSettlement, eCollaboration, eDemocracy, and eCommunity. Case studies show practical applications in industry, administration and research. The book is well suited for students in Business, Economics and Political Sciences courses as well as for practitioners interested in the opportunities of digital exchange and participation in the knowledge society.

This book examines democratic innovations from around the world, drawing lessons for the future development of both democratic theory and practice.

This book highlights the rightful role of citizens as per the constitution of the country for participation in Governance of a smart city using electronic means such as high speed fiber optic networks, the internet, and mobile computing as well as Internet of Things that have the ability to transform the dominant role of citizens and technology in smart cities. These technologies can transform the way in which business is conducted, the interaction of interface with citizens and academic institutions, and improve interactions between business, industry, and city government.