Neoinstitutionalism and E-Government

This article addresses the evolution and implementation of e-government with a neoinstitutional perspective. It starts with a critique on Jane Fountain's technology enactment framework in that the framework fails to show how elected officials, public administrators, and citizens can facilitate e-government toward better democratic governance. This problem reflects the immaturity and ambiguity of neo-institutionalism in accounting for institutional change. The author argues that a balance between agent and institution, between strategic choice and institutional constraint should be maintained in analyzing the evolution of e-government as a long-term institutional change. This balanced approach would give public administration a more optimistic future of e-government.