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From the Publisher: In Building the Virtual State, Jane Fountain explains how government must evolve to become part of the Internet revolution. Fountain calls on government agencies to abandon outmoded bureaucratic tendencies in favor of a less centralized approach to providing services. This requires a change not only in the way government executives think, but also in the way they view their relationships with citizens. They must answer questions regarding costs and maintenance of Internet portals, and at the same time assure citizens that their privacy will be protected. The creation of this virtual state, Fountain argues, will not be easy, exposing much of the structural obsolescence of our current bureaucracy. However, if our government is to serve its central purpose - to work for its citizens and provide them with the opportunity to excel - it must embrace this change. It must negotiate the solutions to the internal questions of management, as well as external questions of protection of privacy and capability of use by all citizens. The outcome of this struggle will likely determine the extent to which the American government will be recast in the Information Age and whether its citizens will emerge as winners or losers.
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