In the past decade, federal, state, and local governments in the United States, and governments in many other countries, have emphasized providing government information and services online. In fact, the U.S. Federal government is the single largest producer of online content in the world. The provision of government information and services online is known as e-government.

E-government – also known as electronic government or digital government – is the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies by governments to provide information and services, as well as to use as channels of communication to citizens, businesses, and other governments. E-government, as a trend is only ten years old, but it already comprises a range of essential government services, including filing taxes, registering in schools, applying for government jobs, renewing driver’s licenses, applying for citizenship, emergency preparedness, and contacting government officials. As more and more content moves primarily or exclusively online, the future of government information and services is in e-government.

In the E-government course and the E-government Master’s Concentration, students study issues such as:

• The range of information, services, and activities that comprise e-government;
• The policy and legal issues framing e-government initiatives;
• The relationship of e-government to other government activities;
• The societal, political, and technological factors driving the development and current state of e-government;
• Social institutions, such as public libraries, that ensure e-government access for underserved populations;
• The issues and challenges in providing universal access to e-government;
• The ethical responsibilities and challenges of providing government services via the Internet;
• The technical implementation, management, and security of e-government;
• The future social and political implications of e-government; and
• The techniques for evaluating e-government within the larger policy environment and political context.

To complement the E-government Master’s Concentration, the College has also established the Center for Information Policy and Electronic Government (CIPEG), a multidisciplinary research and educational facility devoted to the study of e-government and its implications for governments and for citizens (http://www.cipeg.umd.edu/). Faculty affiliated with CIPEG include faculty from Information Studies, Computer Science, Public Policy, and Communication. CIPEG plays both educational and research functions when working with graduate students. Through CIPEG, students in the E-government Master’s Concentration are able to interact with researchers and practitioners in e-government and work on actual research projects related to e-government. CIPEG also brings in speakers from government, libraries, and other areas to discuss specific issues related to e-government. In fall 2007, CIPEG hosted a talk by Karen Evans, the Director of IT and E-government for the U.S. Federal government.