Citizen satisfaction with contacting government on the internet

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Cohen, Jeffrey E.^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Political Science, Fordham University, 675 Faber Hall, 441 E. Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458, USA. Tel.: +1 718 817 3956; Fax: +1 718 817 3972; E-mail: cohen@fordham.edu

Abstract: This study looks at the satisfaction with their contact experience of citizens using the internet to contact government. Due to the internet, the volume of citizen contacts with government has increased. Presumably the ease and convenience compared to traditional contact modes has stimulated government contacting via the internet. Analysis of the July 2003 Pew E-Government Survey finds that Americans who use the internet to contact government express higher satisfaction levels with their contact experience when controlling for demographics, level of government contacted, reason for the contact, and assessments of the contact process and outcome. However, many internet users also complain of problems in using the internet for contacting government. These problems may outweigh the ease and convenience of internet contacting and may imperil the internet as a way of connecting citizens and government. Suggestions for improving the internet as a medium through which citizens contact government are discussed.

DOI: 10.3233/IP-2006-0083

Journal: Information Polity, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 51-65, 2006