Determining the type of e-government use

• This study identifies determinants of different types of e-government use.
• Socio-demographic conditions matter in the degree of transactional service use.
• Perceived ease of use affects the use of information provided by e-government.
• The e-government user type of policy researchers is likely civic-minded.

This article aims to understand what determines the degree of e-government use for multiple purposes by analyzing the Government Online Survey data that the Pew Internet and American Life Project provide. Three main purposes of e-government use are identified as: service use, information use, and policy research. The degree of e-government use for a specific purpose is predicted by five sets of determinants: psychological factors of technology adoption, civic mindedness, information channels, trust in government, and socio-demographic and personal characteristics. Sociodemographic conditions influence usage level of various transactional services provided by e-government. Perceived ease of use facilitates the acquisition of general information through e-government. Civicness is a critical determinant of e-government use for policy research. Policy researchers who are more engaged with and concerned about society, neighbors, and government are emerging as a new class of e-government users.