Sending Your Government a Message E-Mail Communications Between Citizens and Governments

by Neu, Richard C.; Anderson, Robert H.; Bikson, Tora K.

• ISBN13: 9780833027542
• ISBN10: 0833027549
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-14
• Publisher: RAND Corporation

Summary

Sending Your Government a Message explores the possibility of expanded personalized citizen-government electronic communication.

Table of Contents

Preface	iii
Figures	ix
Tables	xi
Summary	xiii
Acknowledgments	xxvii
Brevities	xxix
Introduction	1	(14)
An Unfinished Revolution	4	(1)
Why E-Mail?	5	(4)
Why Not E-Mail	9	(2)
A Special Role for Government?	11	(2)
The Plan of This Report	13	(2)
The Medium and the Messages: Noteworthy Features	15	(16)
Message Types	16	(6)
Form-Based vs. Free-Form Messages	17	(1)
Simple vs. Complex Messages	18	(1)
Features of Complex Form-Based Messages	19	(3)
Survey of Official State Uses of E-Mail	22	(6)
Survey Findings	22	(2)
Electronic Interactions: A Mixed Sampler	24	(1)
Barriers to Increased Electronic Communications	25	(3)
Discussion	28	(3)
Case Study: The Health Care Financing Administration and the Medicare Program	31	(28)
Communications with Health-Care Providers	32	(1)
Communications with Medicare Beneficiaries	33	(5)
Initial Enrollment in the Medicare Program	35	(1)
Customer Service	36	(1)
Notices of Claims Processed	37	(1)
Opportunities of Use E-Mail	38	(8)
Initial Enrollment in the Medicare Program	39	(1)
Customer Service	39	(6)
Notices of Claims Processed	45	(1)
Implementation Opportunities and Challenges	46	(10)
Beneficiary Acceptance	48	(1)
The Problem of Security	49	(5)
Other Challenges	54	(2)
A Way Forward	56	(3)
Case Study: California's Employment Development Department and Its Unemployment Insurance Program	59	(36)
Study Procedures	60	(1)
Background and Pressures for Change	61	(2)
Communications Related to UI Claims	63	(3)
Opportunities to Use E-Mail	66	(19)
Ad Hoc Inquiries	67	(2)
Initial Claims	69	(6)
Continued Claims	75	(5)
Nonmonetary Determinations	80	(4)
E-Mail Opportunities Reviewed	84	(1)
Implementation Prospects and Challenges	85	(10)
Technological Constraints	85	(1)
Security Challenges	86	(2)
User Issues: Access, Equity, and Acceptability	88	(4)
Organizational Innovation	92	(3)
Security and Related Technical Issues	95	(24)
Need for Secure Communication	96	(2)
Elements of Secure Communication	98	(4)
Public Key Encryption and Infrastructure	102	(8)
Identity vs. Authority	103	(2)
Who Can Act as Certificate Authorities for Government Agencies?	105	(3)
One CA or Many?	108	(2)
Some Security-Related Issues to Be Resolved	110	(5)
Getting from Here to There	115	(4)
Citizens, Computers, and Connectivity: A Review of Trends	119	(30)
Reviewing Current Trends	121	(25)
Approach to the CPS Data	122	(5)
Results of Data Analysis	127	(19)
Conclusions	146	(3)
Conclusions, Observations, and Recommendations	149	(44)
The Case for E-Mail	149	(3)
Some Operational Concerns	152	(11)
Cost	152	(2)
Security	154	(2)
Free-Form E-Mail	156	(1)
Information Architectures to Support E-Mail Communication	157	(2)
Archives and Audit Trails	159	(1)
Managing User Expectations	160	(1)
Junk E-Mail and ``Spamming''	161	(2)
Reaching the ``Unwired''	163	(6)
Expanding Internet Access	164	(1)
A Default Internet Service Provider?	165	(1)
E-Mail Addresses for All: A New Role for the Postal Service?	166	(3)
Government's Role	169	(8)
Appendix
A. Additional Information on Citizens, Computers, and Connectivity	177	(12)
B. Where to Contact the Government	189	(4)
References	193