Americans believe that the government can help both law enforcement and public health officials to keep the nation safe from experiencing more terror attacks. That’s according to the findings from a national survey released Feb. 26.
E-government utilizes information and communications technology to better how the public sector works. It includes the use of electronic communications devices, computers, and the internet to provide information and services to the public.
The vast majority of those surveyed, or 76 percent, think that the ability of local police and law enforcement agencies and federal agencies such as the FBI and Centers for Disease Control to respond to and prevent future terror attacks is enhanced by e-government. According to the survey, respondents also believe that e-government helps governmental agencies to coordinate their efforts in response to large-scale public emergencies.
Electronic Data Systems, Corp., of Plano, Texas served as co-sponsor of the survey, in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government. That Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization has the mission of improving the performance of the government.
The results of the survey, along with a report summarizing its findings, titled “E-Government: To Protect, Connect and Serve Us,” were released by EDS during a press conference in the nation’s capital.
Al Edmonds, who serves as president of U.S. Government for EDS Information Solutions, said during the press conference that the survey demonstrated that the American public has come to see e-government as more than simply agencies posting information to websites.
According to Edmonds, the American public now sees e-government as a means of bolstering how government works at all levels in both emergency and non-emergency situations by the sharing of both information and data.
The report also found that Americans feel positive about e-government and its growing impact on how government interacts with citizens; Americans also want to see the government invest more of their tax dollars in making more information and services available online; Americans remain deeply concerned about both security and online voting; and, Americans want a government that listens and is accountable to them.
The study is based on a poll taken by Peter D. Hart Research Associates of Washington, which at surveyed 500 government officials at the federal, state and local levels in addition to 900 adults from across the nation.