The Governance Gauge: Open Government

We hope you enjoy this Wednesday’s Governance Gauge: for more reading material, you can always visit our reading list for more on governance, special economic zones, best practices and studies!

“Open Government” is a collection of articles and papers edited by Lathrop & Ruma of Iowa State University. The book is very lengthy at over 150,000 words, and goes into various subjects regarding the digitalization of government services and the implementation of web 2.0. From the history of computers in government to the latest in case studies referring to the design and implementation of some of the most innovative systems into today’s governments. The tone of the book varies on the author of the segment, but sourcing and bibliography are two major strong points.

The book has over 30 chapters which are too many to detail here, but they mainly follow a three-part thematic, where the first examines the theory, followed by major case studies, and finishing off with technical articles.

Creators of zones and societies will find chapters 5–10, as well as 24–30 very applicable. These chapters define the management, architecture, design, and UI/UX aspects of digital governance software services.

Policymakers and analysts can take a look at chapters 13–23, which mostly harbor case studies and examinations of how innovative systems get implemented in modern legislative and bureaucratic environments.

Scholars and experts may use chapters 1–12 and 30–34, which are more theoretical and technical. They’re punctuated with useful statistics and professional sourcing throughout, allowing for deep study.

The book may be purchased here.