This I hope will be the age of experiments in government, and that their basis will be founded in principles of honesty, not of mere force. - Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1796. "The age of experiments in government" continues apace and is now undergoing dramatic changes that would have fascinated Jefferson and his contemporaries. Digital government, also often called e-government, refers to the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to the practice of government and to research in this area. In the long run, the impact of digital government might be to increase civic participation and revolutionize democratic practice, or it might be to create greater inequity among citizens and increase the power of police states, or it might be simply to streamline existing processes and practices. Of course, it will be all of these things and more. As in Jefferson's time, the possibilities of revolutionary practices, the ideas that they engender, and the threats that they pose are tremendous. It is an exciting time to be involved with digital government, and the goal of this chapter is to communicate the issues and the challenges, and perhaps to engender in small measure the thrill and trepidation that Jefferson, Adams, and their contemporaries must have felt as they embarked on their "experiment."
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