Third-Generation Local E-Government

Abstract

Local e-government reflects an ongoing process of modernization. Like all processes of innovation and modernization, the development of e-government is also characterized by various phases and cycles. These phases of development are fundamentally similar, whether they are implemented in a country that is a pioneer of e-government or a country that is among the stragglers in the electronic modernization of the administration. As to the specific mechanisms, the obstacles and the driving forces of modernization vary from one country to another. At the same time, there are differences in the introduction and development of e-government between the different levels of government. National e-government strategies and possibilities are subject to different conditions than a local e-government. The national differences and the differences between various levels of government depend on factors such as the state constitution, the institutional circumstances, work cultures, modernization strategies, IT equipment, Internet access, or financial resources (Drüke, 2005b, p. 286-291; Eifert, 2004; Socitm & I&DeA, 2002, p. 8). This is important as a preliminary remark for the limitation in the scope of this study, which is focused on Germany and specifically the local government level. However, these perspectives are naturally reflected in the international discussion about good e-government.