E-government hits the mainstream, survey says

Electronic government has moved from the fringes of society into the mainstream, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Council for Excellence in Government. And most of those polled believe e-government is a key part of the Bush administration's homeland security effort. According to the survey, conducted by polling firm Hart-Teeter for the Council for Excellence in Government last November, 67 percent of adults have access to the Internet, up from 63 percent in 2000. Of this percentage, 77 percent use the Internet very or somewhat often. More than three-fourths of respondents said they had visited a government Web site. "Most Americans now interact with their government online," said Patricia McGinnis, President and CEO of the Council for Excellence in Government, "and have high expectations for the role of e-government in their lives." The way citizens use the Internet now is different than in the past, said Peter D. Hart, CEO of Hart Research. "At this time a year ago, it was as if people were using training wheels," Hart said. Now people are exploring the Internet and actively using online services, he said. Of those who had visited government sites, 57 percent said they had been to federal sites, 54 percent said they had gone to state sites, and 42 percent reported browsing local government sites. "The feds have the lead," Hart said, "but local governments are catching up." A year ago, there was a huge gap between the e-government capabilities of the federal government and those of the states and localities, Hart said. "There is no longer a gap," he said. Eighty-six percent of those who had visited federal sites said the sites were helpful. State government sites won the endorsement of 85 percent of respondents, while 79 percent found local sites useful. According to the poll, 67 percent of Americans see e-government as a tool that will better protect the public during the war against terrorism. Ninety percent of those polled favored increased government investment in information-sharing initiatives aimed at apprehending and prosecuting criminals and terrorists. "We're in a new era," Hart said. "We're investing in security and there is a sense that we can't do enough." More than 80 percent of survey respondents said they believe protecting public health and safety should be the top priority of e-government investments, while 77 percent believe national defense and security should be at the top of the priority list. Another 77 percent said they believe e-government will improve the government's "ability to coordinate a response to public health threats." The poll revealed that most Americans are willing to trade elements of their online privacy for increased security. "Privacy is a big issue," said Bob Teeter, president of Coldwater Corp. "But ultimately, the health and safety of the country is what concerns people the most." Still, 69 percent of respondents said they were concerned about identity theft and 64 percent fear hackers will steal their personal information held on government computers. The poll also attempted to gauge e-government's successes. According to 30 percent of those polled, greater accountability was the most important result of e-government. This was followed by 18 percent choosing greater homeland security and 17 percent noting greater access to information. Fifteen percent noted more convenient services and 14 percent focused on cost-effectiveness. For the survey, Hart-Teeter called 806 adults at random and 155 known Internet users. The margin for error in the resulting report, "E-Government: To Connect, Protect and Serve Us," is plus or minus 3.5 percent. The report was sponsored by Electronic Data Systems Corp. It is available online here.