Digital Government

Catalog description

This course offers an in-depth panorama of the strategies used to design, implement and evaluate effective policies, government information and democratic procedures and practices as they are publicized online in a digital world. We examine the merits of recent initiatives in e-government and e-governance from the perspective of policy administrators and elected officials as well as the increasing array of ways that citizens and civil society groups and organizations can use, and interact with online government information and services. We also look at the problems that many government agencies encounter in their attempts to provide information and services digitally plus what challenges and opportunities may be in store for the e-governance strategies of the future. The course covers issues surrounding democratic accountability and transparency, security and privacy, citizen e-participation, e-performance reporting and public relations in online government communications. It pays special attention to giving students the opportunity to develop practical skills in how to design and develop effective, specific and comprehensive e-government strategies at the local or state level.