The electronic state and electronic government

E-state — a way of implementing the informational aspects of government activity, based on the use of ICT systems, and also a new type of state based on the use of this technology. E-state implies ICT-based support for the activities of both the executive branch («e-government»), the legislative bodies («e-parliament»), and the judicial bodies («e-justice»). E-government offers new opportunities for more direct and convenient citizen access to government authority, as well as for the state to provide services directly to citizens . In e-state systems, government operations are supported by web services. It involves the use of information technologies, in particular the Internet, to facilitate communication between the state and its citizens .

E-government (from the English e-Government) — a package of technologies and a set of accompanying organizational measures and regulatory support for organizing digital interaction between government authorities of various branches of power, citizens, organizations and other economic actors. It implies an efficient way of providing information about the activities of government authorities, delivering government services to citizens, business, other branches of government, and government officials, in which personal interaction between the state and the applicant is minimized and the capabilities provided by information technologies, mobile technologies, and the Internet are used to the fullest extent.

E-government is based on a distributed information and telecommunications infrastructure (e-government infrastructure) deployed at the national scale. Its core is an electronic document management system, a system for automating public administration built on the automation of the entire set of management processes nationwide, and serving the goal of substantially increasing the efficiency of public administration and reducing the costs of social communications for every member of society. National programs for building e-government envisage the phased construction of a nationwide distributed system of public administration that implements the solution to the full range of tasks related to document management and document-processing .

E-government is part of the measures of administrative reform and digital transformation set by the principles of the electronic economy and the digital economy.

In Russia, work on building the «e-state» is carried out under the Federal Target Program Electronic Russia and is aimed at improving the quality of public administration.

The concept of «e-state» corresponds most closely to the English concept of e-government. In some cases it is translated as «e-government» in the narrower sense. Such a translation is acceptable, but it is only one of its meanings. In modern international legal documents, in particular in the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the term government is used to denote the state as a whole. Similarly, in the expression «three branches of government», the reference is to the three branches of the state as a whole, not only to the executive branch — the government .

E-state is a subject of the electronic economy.

Other definitions of «e-state»

• «E-state» represents the use of information and communication technologies to transform government in order to make it more accessible to citizens, more efficient, and more accountable. However, this definition by no means implies that the transition to «e-government» should be marked by an increase in the number of computers in officials’ offices. On the contrary, according to this definition, it should lead to a change in the relationship between civil servants and the rest of the citizens (director of the Center for Democracy and Technology (Center for Democracy and Technology, CDT) James Dempsey ).

• «E-government is a system of public administration based on electronic means of processing, transmitting, and disseminating information» .

• «E-state» is an objective reality reflecting the emergence and self-development of electronic government institutions arising in the information society. The development of electronic government institutions is acquiring an unconditional character today and is aimed at satisfying the social needs and well-being of members of society. The cause-and-effect relationships and virtual reality generated on the basis of «e-state» find practical realization through electronic economic networks. This leads to the emergence of a new form of social development, relying on the extensive use of intangible assets (above all, personal qualities, knowledge, and information), as well as on crisis-free development, implemented through the creation of a non-market, post-scarcity type of economy based on socially controlled electronic management of needs.

History

The United States was one of the pioneers in the development of e-government – the term itself was first officially introduced by US Vice President Al Gore [Trakhtenberg 2013: 101–109; Dyakova 2013: 94–101]. It emerged in the context of the public administration reform carried out in the 1990s, which envisaged improving feedback between the government and society, increasing the efficiency of bureaucratic agencies, and broader involvement of the population in political decision-making. The main documents defining the directions and features of e-government development in the United States were the «E-Government Act» of 2002 and the Digital Government Strategy

The next strategic step in this direction was the signing, in 2000 at the G8 summit, of the Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society. In accordance with the Charter, the obligations of the G8 countries were defined to promote the spread of ICT and overcome the digital divide, which threatened to multiply the existing social and economic inequality.

To analyze current trends in the implementation of e-government tools, the UN developed a methodology that is actively used by states to organize their own efforts in this area. The E-Government Development Index, proposed by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, has become one of the most authoritative indicators of the effectiveness of national ICT policy. In its 2014 survey report (hereinafter also – the 2014 UN Survey), e-government is defined as «the use and application of information technology by government bodies in public administration to optimize and integrate processes and procedures for the effective management of data and information, improve the quality of public service delivery, and expand communication channels for engaging people in the process of political decision-making»1 .

Methodology

The Russian methodology for building e-state has not yet been adopted at the government level and is being implemented within pilot projects of the Federal Target Program Electronic Russia. The main documents that define the methodology for building «e-state» are the following:

• The Concept for the Integration of Administrative Reform and the Federal Target Program «Electronic Russia», setting out the basic principles for the use of ICT in the public sector;
• The Report on Improving Public Administration through the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), outlining the main elements of the approach proposed by «Electronic Russia»;
• The Concept of State Accounting, proposing regulation of activities for collecting and storing information in the public sector;
• The Concept of Citizens’ Access to State Information, proposing mechanisms for providing citizens with information without the need to submit a request processed by an official;
• The Concept of Information Auditing of State ICT Systems, providing for verification that the operation of state ICT systems complies with the requirements of the «e-state» methodology
• The Concept of Standardizing the Formal Representation of Administrative Processes, defining standards for the use of ICT to model the activities of government bodies;
• The Concept of Software Standardization, defining mandatory requirements for software products procured and used in the public sector;
• The Concept of Information Regulation, defining the categories of access to information collected and stored by the state.

Models of E-government

By 2017, four models of e-government were known and applied worldwide:

• Continental European model
• Anglo-American model
• Asian model
• Russian model

Continental European model. This model is characterized by the presence of supranational institutions whose recommendations must be implemented by all EU countries; a high degree of integration, manifested in a single currency, a unified information space, the preparation of a new common Constitution, etc.; and legislation regulating information relations within the European information space. The application of technology in this model is primarily oriented toward the needs of citizen-users.

Anglo-American model. This model is widely used in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, information superhighways have been built that provide citizens with access to information about public administration. All services are open and transparent, and the government bears greater responsibility to the public. In the United Kingdom’s program, called «Electronic Citizens, Electronic Business, Electronic Government. A Strategic Concept for Serving Society in the Information Age», emphasis is placed on solving the following problems: expanding the range of services provided, making the most effective use of social information, and creating conditions for full coverage. The main goal for the United Kingdom is to free civil servants from performing routine work.

Asian model. This model is characterized by a specific type of governance. The main emphasis is on meeting the information needs of the population and introducing information technologies into the system of culture and education. Creating a unified information space across the entire country not only strengthens the state’s position but also puts into practice the fundamental principle of democracy: the people are the source and bearer of power.

Russian model. The main goals of the program are to increase the efficiency of the economy, state and local governance, and to create conditions for free access to information and the necessary services. In total, the program envisages development along nine directions, the main ones being ensuring openness in the activities of government bodies and improving the operation of state authorities and local self-government

To the shortcomings of e-government models, especially at the early stages of their construction, one should add the overly «mechanical» way of converting traditional state and municipal services into electronic form. Converting government services into electronic form usually does not include identifying inefficient and outdated regulatory documents, or taking measures to repeal, correct, and develop new laws, orders, and regulations — since this requires organizing a complex process of coordinating expert work and rule-making, and takes time to carry out. Working groups for building e-government are mostly funded from the budget, are dominated by civil servants, and the search for compromise with other ecosystem participants is either not envisaged or occurs with difficulty. Such a technocratic approach to automating government services, while undoubtedly increasing the convenience of their use for citizens and organizations, ultimately does not substantially improve the business climate or change the substance of interaction between the parties. In the course of providing a number of government services, since it is not possible to formally abolish the traditional «paper» workflow, there is duplication of traditional paper-based and electronic document workflow, which leads to increased budgetary costs for supporting both processes and raises questions among experts about the economic efficiency and state expediency of this approach to automation.

Therefore, the search for new models of e-government continues, which is reflected in the emergence of new paradigms, such as the information society.

Objectives of E-government

E-government:

1. creating new forms of interaction between government bodies;
2. optimizing the provision of government services to the public and businesses;
3. supporting and expanding self-service opportunities for citizens;
4. increasing the technological awareness and skills of citizens;
5. increasing the degree of participation of all voters in the processes of leading and governing the country;
6. reducing the impact of geographic location;

E-government provides:

• efficient and less costly administration;
• a fundamental change in the relationship between society and government;
• improving democracy and increasing the accountability of the authorities to the people.

With the development of information and communication technologies, the electronic provision of all spheres of government activity is in demand among citizens and organizations of various forms of ownership. The relevance of this area is underscored by the dynamic development of such spheres as the social sphere (the Social Insurance Fund, the Pension Fund, the Federal Migration Service), the legal sphere (advocacy, notarial services, judicial proceedings), the economic sphere (budget, finance, taxes), the cultural sphere (science, education), the medical sphere, the municipal sphere (housing and utilities), etc.

«Project management» is the development, formulation, implementation, coordination, and execution of projects, strategies, and programs for informatization and communications within executive government bodies and their subordinate organizations, in order to meet the needs of the population, government bodies, local self-government bodies, and organizations for access to communication services, information resources, and information interaction.

The main tasks of a project manager:

• implementing programs for the development of informatization and communications, including the «e-government» system;
• coordinating and advancing the introduction of the latest technologies in informatization and communications within executive government bodies;
• optimizing and regulating the processes of planning, monitoring, and adjusting project plans;
• tracking the progress of target programs implemented by the Ministry;
• analyzing results and generating reports on the implementation of measures in the field of informatization and communications development;
• preparing project documentation for participation in federal competitions.

Purpose

E-government is not a supplement to or an analogue of traditional government, but merely defines a new way of interaction based on the active use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve the efficiency of public service delivery.

In the future, «one-stop-shop» e-government will become more relevant than it is today. This trend will be a consequence of the development of web 2.0 social networks. These technologies significantly expand the possibilities of political communication and make it possible to achieve new forms of integration between government, business, and citizens .

At present, there is no single unified concept of e-government. There is only a set of general requirements that citizens and business are entitled to expect from the government of the information society. Various categories of consumers are united by a common desire to obtain more effective means of accessing information in order to reduce transaction costs and make interaction with government bodies simpler, faster, and more comfortable."

Thus, e-government (EG) has the following main objectives:

• optimizing the provision of government services to the public and businesses;
• increasing the degree of participation of all voters in the processes of leading and governing the country;
• supporting and expanding self-service opportunities for citizens;
• increasing the technological awareness and skills of citizens;
• reducing the impact of geographic location.

Thus, the creation of EG should provide not only more efficient and less costly administration, but also a fundamental change in the relationship between society and government. Ultimately, this will lead to the improvement of democracy and increased accountability of the authorities to the people.

Types of interaction

• Between the state and citizens (G2C, Government-to-Citizen);
• Between the state and business (G2B, Government-to-Business);
• Between different branches of government (G2G, Government-to-Government);
• Between the state and government employees (G2E, Government-to-Employees).

Example of the structure of e-government

Infrastructure of e-government

Leasing "e-government" for the regions

Unified Data Transmission Network (ESPD)

State Data Architecture

In art

1) ASGU (Automatic System of State Governance), also known as OGAS (National Automated System for Accounting and Processing of Information) — ASGU (OGAS) is a strong artificial intelligence built on an embedded theory of control, uniting and closing upon itself the entire communications network, including the Russian internet, FidoNet, and remote means of controlling satellites, drones, combat drones, escalators, nuclear missile silos, cash registers, alarm clocks, industrial robots and Pokemon. It carries out the economic planning of the USSR 2.0 and the development of peacekeeping bombing missions beyond its borders.

The warranty period of ASGU ends in 2032, after which the system will need comprehensive treatment from psychiatrists.

ASGU is a virtual-technical character from Victor Argonov's opera «2032: The Legend of the Unrealized Future», on the basis of which the imageboard iichan.ru (Ychan) created the fantastical techno-mascot ASGU-tyan (or simply ASGU), representing her moe anthropomorphization. ASGU exists in an alternate history where the USSR survived as a technical superpower and is in effect governed by an artificial intelligence under the control of the general secretary. An attempt to destroy the USA, proposed by ASGU due to an error in calculations (or due to ASGU's own troubled feelings), leads to a retaliatory nuclear strike, and a worldwide nuclear winter sets in. ASGU most likely perishes.

ASGU's avatar on the central monitor of the USSR government

2) 1984 (novel) Oceania is a state with a cruel totalitarian system. Its inhabitants are deprived of civil rights and individuality. In the party's society, besides the cult of personality of Big Brother and unquestioning obedience to the authorities, everyone is required to hold puritanical views, and all young people are encouraged to join the so-called Junior Anti-Sex League, where they are instilled with a revulsion for sexual relations and love. Love is a thoughtcrime, and marriages are contracted solely for reproductive purposes. However, the party plans over time to eliminate this remaining scrap of personal space as well, having developed a medical method of eliminating the human's physiological need for amorous intimacy, with a subsequent transition to conception via artificial insemination.

Telescreens in Victory Square. Still from the film «1984»
In Oceania a strict social hierarchy prevails. The population of Oceania numbers approximately 300 million people, of whom only 45 million are Party members. There is no parliament or government; all power is concentrated in the hands of the Ingsoc party, which is divided into the Outer Party and the Inner Party. The highest social caste is the Inner Party, which includes the senior officials of the ministries and the rest of Oceania's top leadership. All the power and wealth of Oceania is concentrated in the hands of the Inner Party. Unlike the almost destitute members of the Outer Party, members of the Inner Party receive higher salaries and have access to such rare goods as tea, white bread and sugar, as well as to items the Outer Party members have no access to at all, such as milk, real coffee, wine and fruit. Inner Party members make up approximately 2% of all Oceania's inhabitants. The middle caste is the Outer Party, which included countless nomenklatura workers and lower-ranking Party members. Members of the Outer Party live in poverty and are constantly under the surveillance of the Thought Police. Outer Party members make up approximately 13% of all Oceania's inhabitants.

Telecran (also monitor or telescreen) — a device combining a single-channel television with a video camera that cannot be switched off. In every room ever visited by Party members there was a dedicated telecran, through which broadcasts were transmitted around the clock and people were kept under surveillance. Telecrans were almost entirely absent from the homes of proles (non-Party members), while in the homes of Inner Party members, although mandatory, they were fitted with a switch that could be used for no more than half an hour a day.

See also

• [[b4271]]
• [[b8711]]
• [[b9468]]
• E-economy
• E-government
• Electronic money
• Expert Center for Electronic State
• Bitnation
• E-economy
• E-state
• Electronic money
• Single window
• Information society
• Public Services Portal of the Russian Federation
• E-Government Portal of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Social rating in China
• Digital dictatorship
• Social credit system

See also

• Power. Political power
• The state: concept, types, forms, the political form of the organisation of society
• State-church relations