Explaining Cross-National Variation in Government Adoption of New Technologies1

Abstract

New information and communication technologies provide governments with opportunities to deliver public services more effectively to their citizens. But we know little about the reasons for variation in the adoption of these technologies across countries. Using cross-national data on government use of information technologies to reform public service delivery, or eGovernment, I argue that politicians' expectations about the effects of more transparent service delivery on established patterns of rent-seeking play an important role in shaping variation in the character of reforms. I show that the level of preexisting corruption in a country is a robust predictor of eGovernment outcomes, with more corrupt governments less likely than their less corrupt peers to implement high-quality public service reforms using information technology. This finding contrasts with those analyses that emphasize the role of economic conditions or regime type in explaining technological diffusion.

An empirical test of stage models of e-government development: Evidence from Dutch municipalities

“…In other words, differences in the policy process at the municipal level might explain the deviation from the linearity assumption. This is in line with the literature on the impact of local politics on e-government (Bussell 2011;Ravi 2013).…”

Political determinants of e-government performance revisited: Comparing democracies and autocracies

“…Several studies reveal a positive relationship between democracy and e-government (Bussell, 2011;Gulati & Yates, 2011;Gulati, Yates, & Williams, 2012;Kim, 2007;Rose, 2005). Others report insignificant results (Bussell, 2011;Lee, Chang, & Berry, 2011;Moon, Welch, & Wong, 2005;Rodríguez Domínguez et al, 2011;West, 2005) or a negative impact of democracy on e-government (Williams, Gulati, & Yates, 2013).…”

“…Such an argumentation assumes a linear relationship between the openness of a political system and its e-government performance. It is argued that democratic politicians use e-government to increase their electoral chances by improving public service provision and by engaging with citizens (Bussell, 2011;Moon et al, 2005;Rose, 2005). The prevalent view is that "a less democratic government is less likely to advance e-government because the government might not support transparent and interactive relationship with citizens" (Moon et al, 2005, p. 4).…”

“Close but no Cigar”: the measurement of corruption

“…This is an avenue of investigation that has been pursued by both TI itself in its press releases (see, e.g. TI 2007), as well as by academic researchers (Treisman 2007, 220; for specific examples of the CPI being used for comparisons over time, see Herzfeld and Weiss 2003, Catrinescu et al 2008and Bussell 2011; for the WGI being used in a similar way, see Kaufmann et al 2009). Despite the caution against using the CPI for comparisons between time points, the fact that it happens makes the variability of the CPI (and other annual perception-based measures) over time an important topic in its own right.…”