The Web of governance and democratic accountability

T. A. Northrup, S. J. Thorson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Entry/PoemConference contribution

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Developments in e-government are resulting in fundamental reorganizations of the ways in which democratic governments operate as well as in the ways in which citizens relate to their own and other governments and to each other. Of special relevance here are the manners in which institutions and citizens are becoming interconnected into a complex 'Web of governance' via largely uncoordinated information networks. This paper examines how this Web of governance is simultaneously producing changes in individual citizen's senses of identity and challenges to conventional notions of accountability in liberal democratic systems. Together, it is argued, these suggest moving focus from e-government (the institutions of government) to e-governance (the larger Web of formal and informal institutions, organizations, norms, traditions, authority structures, groups and behaviors within which individuals and groups live their lives). Such a refocusing holds the promise of developing citizen capacity and identity in balance with formal governmental transformations. Specific illustrative examples are provided including Seoul Metropolitan Government's OPEN System.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2003
EditorsRalph H. Sprague
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)0769518745, 9780769518749
DOIs
StatePublished - 2003
Event36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2003 - Big Island, United States
Duration: Jan 6 2003Jan 9 2003

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2003

Other

Other36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2003
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBig Island
Period1/6/031/9/03

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Information Systems
  • Computer Science Applications

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