A Three Dimensional Assessment of U.S. County e-Government

Abstract

The research determines the status of counties’ e-government in three dimensions and the factors influencing their success, based on a combination of a county e-government survey and a content analysis of their websites. Despite the technological growth among county governments, the existing studies have little information dealing specifically with local county governments’ use of e-government technology. This research synthesizes the various existing models of e-government to develop a conceptual framework of three distinct e-government dimensions—e-information, e-transaction, and e-participation. The dimension of e-information refers to the provision of relevant and sufficient information through effective communication, thus leading to an informed citizenry; e-transaction involves efficient and effective transactions that result from an integrated citizenry; and e-participation refers to the promotion of an electronic democracy that involves a participatory citizenry. The study produces some significant findings and provides directions for future research in county e-government.