© National Journal Group Inc.
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005

By William D. Eggers ISBN 0742541754 Rowman & Littlefield 240 pp. Purchase This Book [an error occurred while processing this directive]

It's the dawn of the digital government. Government is wired, schools are wired, and even roads are headed in that direction. While much of the focus has been on how to bridge the digital divide, technology has been quietly seeping into government hallways, and "Government 2.0" peers into the future of this info-tech era.

Once reserved for geeks, technology holds the key to the next revolution, Manhattan Institute senior fellow William Eggers writes -- it will lift government out of the Industrial Age. Eggers interviewed some 500 government employees, researchers, politicians and technology industry CEOs to develop this guidebook for policymakers, the private sector and chief information technology officers. Technology, he argues, will drive down administrative costs, improve efficiency and reduce red tape while giving citizens access to customizable information.

Peppered with anecdotes, Government 2.0 moves beyond government Web sites and into a world where technology is embedded in our daily activities. From education to traffic congestion, he suggests, e-government will force lawmakers to grapple with antiquated laws, overcome partisan politics and tear down cultural barriers to reform.

In New York, for example, low-risk probationers can scan their hands at kiosks to prove they are still in the city. Most states are linking child welfare systems that house reports of abuse and neglect and foster care and adoption information to the federal government's own databases. And the Pennsylvania Justice Network was able to quickly identify some of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists.

In Eggers' future, classrooms are virtual and learning is adaptive to the individual needs of the student. E-learning will offer benefits to mentally, physically and emotionally disabled students, enabling the classroom to be delivered to the home. He also predicts the death of the tollbooth as more states adopt "Speedpass"-style technologies.

"Intelligent transportation systems" will help ease congestion via a mix of vehicular technologies and communications systems, as opposed to the "Greens" answer to congestion, he writes, which is to "impose draconian restrictions on the use of our beloved cars." Eggers even sees the elimination of the gas tax, which, through similar technologies, could be replaced with road access fees based on the supply and demand of the roadways.

Chock full of tips for government agencies, Eggers' book urges lawmakers to rid itself of redundant forms and outdated regulations, meaning fewer headaches and less time wasted on paperwork. In 2002, he said, Americans spent 8.22 billion hours filling out government forms and responding to requests for information -- an investment he believes could be cut sharply if more permits, professional licensing, reporting and registrations were moved online.

But a digital government is more than a streamlining of processes, linking of databases and rampant e-filing. Citizen confidence in the digital world relies on secure systems and strong privacy controls. "Privacy is likely to be one of the most contentious issues in America and other industrialized countries in the years ahead," Eggers writes, while rightfully arguing that government should justify its need to collect particular information from its citizens. He notes that there are more than 11 million surveillance cameras installed throughout the United States -- a statistic that can be simultaneously reassuring and disturbing.

In return for a world that will be monitored by law enforcement from television screens, Eggers urges policymakers to be equally transparent. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant for corruption," he writes. Public shame is an effective deterrent, and citizens should have online access to local, state and federal budgets, health inspection reports and political donations. Done right, he argues, e-government will foster transparency and civic engagement.

Eggers also tackles funding for e-government, overcoming institutional barriers and cyber security, all of which are easier said than done. While cost-savings and greater efficiency will help drive adoption of e-government initiatives, agencies will need a champion within its ranks, starting from those with the most to lose. Today, the Office of Management and Budget scores each agency and dangles information-technology funding as an incentive.

As with any reform, of course, digital progress will occur only after sufficient testing and security procedures are in place. Getting computers among agencies and states to efficiently talk to one other while also protecting privacy is a universal challenge. As demonstrated by the controversy surrounding the USA PATRIOT Act, striking the balance between security and privacy could prove to be the greatest hurdle policymakers face. "While there are no guarantees," Eggers counsels, "baking privacy and security into every technology-enabled change initiative is a necessary first step." --Danielle Belopotosky, NationalJournal.com

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