Open AccessIncreasing Citizen Engagement and Participation through eGovernment in Jordan
Author(s) -
Raed Kareem Kanaan,
Ra’ed Masa’deh
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
modern applied science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1913-1852
pISSN - 1913-1844
DOI - 10.5539/mas.v12n11p225
Subject(s) - panacea (medicine) , government (linguistics) , politics , public relations , assertion , political science , public administration , civic engagement , focus group , business , marketing , medicine , philosophy , linguistics , alternative medicine , pathology , computer science , law , programming language
Supporters of e-Government believe that this technology will be a panacea for enhancing the engagement and participation of citizens in politics and government. However, there is little empirical support for this assertion. Due to the rapid proliferation of e-Government in Jordan there is an impetus to determine how e-Government impacts citizen participation and engagement in politics and government within the country. Using qualitative phenomenological focus group interviews with 40 citizens who utilize e-Government, an effort was made to understand how this technology influences outcomes with regard to participation and engagement with government. The results indicate that those using e-Government were politically active before using the technology and have extensive experience with technology use. E-Government for the politically active serves to extend participation in the process. For individuals that lack technological savvy and/or are not politically active, e-Government alone may not be enough to increase citizen engagement and participation in politics and government.