Webbing governance: global trends across national-level public agencies

The role of the Internet and the Web in transforming government administration - the nuts and bolts of government - is no less significant for the ultimate success of any reform. Enabled by new technologies, however, these new tools for doing business may result in better use of resources or more effective organizational response. With two grants from the National Science Foundation, the Cyberspace Policy Research Group (CyPRG) has tracked the diffusion and use of the Web in 192 governments around the world since 1996. The Western nations lead in openness, as might be expected, but they fail to show a dear connection between wealth and how openness is expressed. Some nations' government agencies are willing to tell their citizens about their activities, but less willing to permit citizens to direct specific questions to ministry employees. Other nations prefer to make less information available, but provide easier access to it.