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Towards the Political Economy of E-Government and E-Democracy
Interview video about this project Name of Researcher:
Taro Ozawa
Professor Faculty of Policy Management and Graduate School of Media and Governance Keio University Outline of Research:
In spite of significant innovations in information technologies, e-government remains at an early stage of implementation. A large number of studies have been made on e-government. In recent years there has been renewal of interest in e-democracy. What seems to be lacking, however, is to speculate on conceptual frameworks, theories, and methods. I have examined e-government and e-democracy from the viewpoint of Public Choice which can be defined as the economic study of non-market decision making. I should like to explore a further possibility, which to the best of my knowledge has never been examined.
Details of the Research:
In spite of significant innovations in information technologies, e-government remains at an early stage of implementation. The Government of Japan, based on the Basic Guidelines Towards the Promotion of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Society (Decision of the Advanced Information and Telecommunications Society Promotion Headquarters, November 9, 1998) and the Action Plan (Decision of the same, April 16, 1999), has steadily promoted policies contributing to the advancement of information and telecommunications in Japan. Regarding highly important and urgent areas including e-government, the then-Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi decided on the Millenium Projects at December 19, 1999.
A large number of studies have been made on e-government. In recent years, there has been renewal of interest in e-democracy. Although most e-government resources reside in the administrative side of government, the online activities of representative institutions have to be accelerated as well, i.e., parliaments, legislatures, and local councils are compelled to take up the IT challenge in order to remain politically relevant. What seems to be lacking, however, is to speculate on conceptual frameworks, theories, and methods. I have examined e-government and e-democracy from the viewpoint of Public Choice which can be defined as the economic study of non-market decision making1). The subject matter of public choice is the same as that of political science, but the methodology of public choice is that of economics. The basic behavioral postulate of public choice is that man is egoistic and rational. I should like to explore a further possibility, which to the best of my knowledge has never been examined. 1) Nakamura, S., T. Ozawa and T. Greve, eds., [2003], Public Economics: Theory and Practice, Toyokeizaishinposha. (in Japanese) |