ABSTRACT
The study of institutions is central to politics and governance, hence to internet politics and e-government. E-government research has focused predominantly on government information provision online, on public service delivery online, and on the attitudes and use patterns of citizens. An essential complement to these streams of research is one that examines the internal structures and processes of what theorists of the state term “state capacity” and “state structure,” and what others have called the administrative or bureaucratic state. I argue in this chapter that an
institutional perspective on e-government can provide important insights into bureaucratic reform, political development, the policy-making process, and the role of civil servants in information societies. This chapter summarizes key elements
of an institutional perspective and then briefly describes institutional developments associated with bureaucratic reform using e-government across two presidential administrations in the United States. Throughout, I sketch developments in budgeting, governance, management, oversight, and legislation that
have been central to e-government. Similarly, I highlight several informal institutional arrangements such as management processes, culture, the structure of working groups, and informal norms. In addition, the chapter briefly summarizes key developments in state and local e-government in the United States. It concludes with a challenge to researchers to probe more deeply the emergent institutional correlates of increased internet and web use in government.
