E-government and Political Trust: A Cross-national Study for 59 Countries

Abstract

My thesis aims to investigate both the direct effect of e-government development levels and its indirect effect on political trust that operates by reducing corruption. By analyzing a nine-year panel dataset for 59 countries, I find that there is no significant relationship between e- government development levels and political trust. Similarly, there is no significant relationship between e-government development levels and corruption. These findings remind us to be cautious about the enthusiasm for e-government advancement projects; and rethink the underlying assumption that the use of ICTs can deliver better governance.