Building the virtual state: information technology and institutional change

From the Publisher: In Building the Virtual State, Jane Fountain explains how government must evolve to become part of the Internet revolution. Fountain calls on government agencies to abandon outmoded bureaucratic tendencies in favor of a less centralized approach to providing services. This requires a change not only in the way government executives think, but also in the way they view their relationships with citizens. They must answer questions regarding costs and maintenance of Internet portals, and at the same time assure citizens that their privacy will be protected. The creation of this virtual state, Fountain argues, will not be easy, exposing much of the structural obsolescence of our current…