Research
The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) conducts and supports research on civic engagement practice and theory. Our research emphasizes on the use of technology to enhance and inform citizen engagement in our democracy, as well as to enhance and inform government decision making and service delivery.
The Institite produces research that contributes to the field of knowledge on civic engagement, and whenever possible adds value to local, regional, and national civic engagement efforts. IPCE Research Partnerships reflect our topical and practical priorities, while our Civic Engagement Research Fund Awards support faculty initiated research projects.
IPCE Research Partnerships:
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND LOCAL E-GOVERNMENT: SOCIAL NETWORKING COMES OF AGE
Karen Mossberger, Ph.D., mossberg@uic.edu
Yonghong Wu, Ph.D., yonghong@uic.edu
Department of Public Administration
This study examined features on local government websites that could contribute to civic engagement, through 1) information about government and community, and 2) through interactive or participatory opportunities online. The study conducted a content analysis of government websites in the 75 largest U.S. cities and 20 largest Illinois cities between March and the beginning of May 2011, using a composite score to rank the results. Comparing the results to a previous 2009 study finds that there has been some change overall in the two years, as many cities that were further behind have moved up in the ranking due to increasing their social networking activities.
Executive Summary [Click Here]
Full Report [Click Here]
CAN E-GOVERNMENT PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT? Karen Mossberger, Ph.D Department of Public Administration Local government is uniquely positioned to encourage citizen participation, and this study investigates the current practice of e-government and the potential for facilitating civic engagement (in politics, policy, and community affairs). We find that for the 75 largest U.S. cities, local government websites provide many types of information that could facilitate knowledge and participation, and interactivity is common through online transactions and customized information, and mechanisms for feedback such as comment forms or surveys. While these trends are important, there is little that resembles online deliberation or discussion; interactions are mostly one-way, with citizens providing feedback to government officials, at best. Executive Summary [Click Here] |
Civic Engagement Research Fund:
The Civic Engagement Research Fund is awarded annually to faculty or staff of UIC
research centers whose work furthers our understanding of civic engagement
theory, the practice of facilitating engagement, or provides tools that
enhance the efforts of civic engagement in community change initiatives.