Is e-government a way to e-democracy?: A longitudinal study of the Iranian situation

Some scholars have supported e-government as a path to e-democracy, whereas others have been more cautious about the subject. In this article, we review the similarities between the concepts of e-government and e-democracy as well as evaluate e-government initiatives and e-democracy requirements in the case of Iran. We used a longitudinal study at two points in time to evaluate the path from e-government to e-democracy using two different methods: a systematic evaluation based on a checklist and a questionnaire survey. The trend of change in e-government initiatives was positive but low from 2008 to 2009, whereas the trend of change in e-democracy requirements was negative and substantial during the same period. We conclude that an emphasis on e-government as a way to e-democracy is not recommended in countries such as Iran.

► E-government has a close relationship to e-democracy.
► E-government initiatives could facilitate the provision of e-democracy requirements.
► Emphasis on e-government as a way to e-democracy is not recommended in countries such as Iran.
► Scholars should conduct research to develop a general model for assessing the impact of e-government on e-democracy.