ABSTRACT
Introduction In Chapter 1 a sketch was made of the way that the relatively new phenomenon of ‘e-government’ has confronted or actively engaged public administrations across the globe (Bekkers and Homburg, 2005; Chadwick and May, 2003; Fountain, 2001a, 2001b; Tat-Kei Ho, 2002). E-government refers to the strategic use of ICTs (especially Internet technologies, but also other kinds of ICT applications), in and around public administrations, for the purpose of creating a ‘wired’ or ‘digital’ government. Ideally, a wired government is more focused on and responsive to societal needs, it delivers services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through information and communication technologies, and makes governments more efficient and democratic.
