Author: Jane E. Fountain
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780815798903
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Book Description
The benefits of using technology to remake government seem almost infinite. The promise of such programs as user-friendly "virtual agencies" and portals where citizens can access all sections of government from a single website has excited international attention. The potential of a digital state cannot be realized, however, unless the rigid structures of the contemporary bureaucratic state change along with the times. Building the Virtual State explains how the American public sector must evolve and adapt to exploit the possibilities of digital governance fully and fairly. The book finds that many issues involved in integrating technology and government have not been adequately debated or even recognized. Drawing from a rich collection of case studies, the book argues that the real challenges lie not in achieving the technical capability of creating a government on the web, but rather in overcoming the entrenched organizational and political divisions within the state. Questions such as who pays for new government websites, which agencies will maintain the sites, and who will ensure that the privacy of citizens is respected reveal the extraordinary obstacles that confront efforts to create a virtual state. These political and structural battles will influence not only how the American state will be remade in the Information Age, but also who will be the winners and losers in a digital society.
Author: Matt Andrews
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198747489
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Book Description
Governments play a major role in the development process, and constantly introduce reforms and policies to achieve developmental objectives. Many of these interventions have limited impact, however; schools get built but children don't learn, IT systems are introduced but not used, plans are written but not implemented. These achievement deficiencies reveal gaps in capabilities, and weaknesses in the process of building state capability. This book addresses these weaknesses and gaps. It starts by providing evidence of the capability shortfalls that currently exist in many countries, showing that many governments lack basic capacities even after decades of reforms and capacity building efforts. The book then analyses this evidence, identifying capability traps that hold many governments back - particularly related to isomorphic mimicry (where governments copy best practice solutions from other countries that make them look more capable even if they are not more capable) and premature load bearing (where governments adopt new mechanisms that they cannot actually make work, given weak extant capacities). The book then describes a process that governments can use to escape these capability traps. Called PDIA (problem driven iterative adaptation), this process empowers people working in governments to find and fit solutions to the problems they face. The discussion about this process is structured in a practical manner so that readers can actually apply tools and ideas to the capability challenges they face in their own contexts. These applications will help readers devise policies and reforms that have more impact than those of the past.
Author: Andrew Wilson
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300095456
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 364
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Book Description
States like Russia and Ukraine may not have gone back to totalitarianism or the traditional authoritarian formula of stuffing the ballot box, cowing the population and imprisoning the opposition - or not obviously. But a whole industry of 'political technology' has developed instead, with shadowy private firms and government 'fixers' on lucrative contracts dedicated to the black arts of organizing electoral success. This book uncovers the sophisticated techniques of the 'virtual' political system used to legitimize post-Soviet regimes; entire fake parties, phantom political rivals and 'scarecrow' opponents. And it exposes the paramount role of the mass media in projecting these creations and in falsifying the entire political process. Wilson argues that it is not primarily economic problems that have made it so difficult to develop meaningful democracy in the former Soviet world. Although the West also has its 'spin doctors', dirty tricks, and aggressive ad campaigns, it is the unique post-Bolshevik culture of 'political technology' that is the main obstacle to better governance in the region, to real popular participation in public affairs, and to the modernization of the political economy in the longer term.
Author: Lee Radzak
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781681341804
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 160
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Book Description
A modern lighthouse keeper tells the fascinating stories of his tenure at a celebrated historic site.
Author: Dasgupta, Subhasish
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1591407974
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 620
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Book Description
"This encyclopedia of virtual communities and technologies provides a much needed integrated overview of all the critical concepts, technologies and issues in the area of virtual communities"--Provided by publisher.
Author: Nawaz Mohamudally
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 1789231620
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 150
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Book Description
State-of-the-Art Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Knowhow is a compilation of recent advancements in digital technologies embracing a wide arena of disciplines. Amazingly, this book presents less business cases of these emerging technologies, but rather showcases the scientific use of VR/AR in healthcare, building industry and education. VR and AR are known to be resource intensive, namely, in terms of hardware and wearables - this is covered in a chapter on head-mounted display (HMD). The research work presented in this book is of excellent standard presented in a very pragmatic way; readers will appreciate the depth and breadth of the methodologies and discussions about the findings. We hope it serves as a springboard for future research and development in VR/AR and stands as a lighthouse for the scientific community.
Author: Jerry Everard
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134692757
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 193
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Book Description
First published in 2000. Virtual States challenge the idea that the nation state is dead. In all the hype about the Internet, little thought has been given to the systematic inequalities being brought about by globalisation, and exacerbated by the global spread of the Internet. Jerry Everard argues that new disparities are emerging between the information 'haves' ad the information 'have-nots': between wealthy and poor states; and between the wealthy and poor in wealthy states. Virtual States systematically addresses these inequalities.
Author: Thomas Hynes
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062938568
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294
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Book Description
An illustrated guide to 40 of the most well-known, surprising, notorious, mythical, and sublime non-human citizens of New York City, and love letter to its surprising ecological diversity. From refugee parrots and prodigal beavers to gorgeous Fifth Avenue hawks and vengeful groundhogs, Wild City tells the funny, quirky, and memorable stories of forty of New York City’s most surprising nonhuman citizens. This unconventional wildlife guide and concise environmental history of the Big Apple includes tales of the well-known, notorious, and legendary creatures who are as much New Yorkers as their human counterparts. A celebration of some of the city’s most surprising residents and a love letter to this always evolving metropolis, Wild City is an enchanting illustrated volume that is a must-have for every Big Apple devotee and animal lover.
Author: Rena M. Palloff
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470605464
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 345
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Book Description
Building Online Learning Communities further explores the development of virtual classroom environments that foster a sense of community and empower students to take charge of their learning to successfully achieve learning outcomes. This is the second edition of the groundbreaking book by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt and has been completely updated and expanded to include the most current information on effective online course development and delivery. A practical, hands-on guide, this resource is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include: Engaging students in the formation of an online learning community. Establishing a sense of presence online. Maximizing participation. Developing effective courses that include collaboration and reflection. Assessing student performance. Written for faculty in any distance learning environment, this revised edition is based on the authors many years of work in faculty development for online teaching as well as their extensive personal experience as faculty in online distance education. Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of online course design and delivery.
Author: K. Ann Renninger
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521780756
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 418
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Book Description
The chapters in this book provide a basis for thinking about the dynamics of Internet community building. The book will interest educators, psychologists, sociologists, and researchers in human-computer interaction.
