ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to evaluate the use of e-government at the local level in Poland. The current Polish government is strongly committed to promoting e-government in order to help Poland become an information society. The chapter focuses on analysing the usage of information and communications technology (ICT) within the primary gmina level of territorial self-government. In the era of the information society, many governments are exploring new ways of improving democratic mechanisms and service delivery, and many are looking at ICT. The e-government focuses on the use of ICT by governments as applied to full range of government functions. In particular, ICT is thought to develop three roles of local government: local democracy; public policy making; and service delivery. There is a common agreement in the governance literature that transparency and communication between citizens and local authorities are key to participatory democracy.
