Making the Connection: E-government and Public Administration Education

Abstract

If e-government will transform how public sector organizations operate, what is the connection between e-government and public administration education? The purpose of this paper is to make that connection. The paper addresses the following questions: First, what are the emerging issues in public management in the era of e-government? Second, what does the literature say about the corresponding transformation required in public administration? Finally, what changes in public administration program curricula are necessary to respond to this transformation? This paper explores the emerging issues in public management in the era of e-government and proposes two levels of modification to the current MPA curriculum in order to connect e-government to public administration education: first, the adaptation of existing curricula to respond to emerging issues, and second, additional e-government content for leaders dealing with the transformations occurring in the way government conducts business and the perception of e-government-associated information technology by public leaders. This paper encourages students, academics, and practitioners of public administration to discuss how to make a connection between these emerging issues and public administration education.