We-government: An anatomy of citizen coproduction in the information age

Abstract

This paper examines whether the tools of the Information Age - -principally but not exclusively the Internet - -make citizen coproduction of government services more viable and effective. The paper first discusses the re-emergence of citizen coproduction as a fashionable policy option in the face of persistent budget deficits, the rise of "government by network," and the advent of mass "peer-production." Finding a plethora of competing labels, models, and concepts for Internet-facilitated coproduction, the paper proposes a formal taxonomy to provide a more robust framework for systematic analysis. The paper then applies this framework to evaluate the impact of the tools of the Information Age on citizen coproduction. Its findings cautiously support the claim that the Information Age enables and advances new forms of citizen coproduction, namely large-scale "Do-It-Yourself Government" and "Government as a Platform." The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential implications for public administration, including the possible emergence of a new social contract that empowers the public to play a far more active role in the functioning of their government. © 2011 ACM.