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' e-government for You' ( EGOV4U) was a European Commission (EC) funded project developed to pilot models of multi-channel, public and community e-services designed to tackle social exclusion and disadvantage through a range of initiatives delivered by five project partners from a variety of European countries. The project evaluation employed a theory-driven approach and the use of mixed methods for data capture and analysis. In this article we combine this with a form of mechanistic explanation that has been specifically developed for realist evaluation: namely the context + mechanism = outcome (CMO) approach. Our contention is that by so doing we further enhance the analytical focus and granularity of the evaluation process and thus the material we present here. This article aims to make use of previously unused material from the EGOV4U evaluation, and provide a realist insight into what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why.

Interest in electronic democracy in the developed world has increased since the early 1990s when rapid technological advances combined with a crisis of political legitimacy. This focus on electronic democracy led many to believe that the "new" media have fundamentally altered the traditional practices of political parties. This is not necessarily the case. Indeed, political parties have long utilized technological advances. Further, it must be recognized that many characteristics of the new media are to be approached with caution, particularly when the new opportunities for participation are accompanied by centralization & exclusion. In short, it cannot yet be proven that new media technologies have fundamentally altered the behavior of political parties. 41 References. K. A. Larsen

The changing processes and practices of governing have led to the emergence of an increasingly complex environment in which a plethora of organizations and agencies can be involved in the governance of local communities. The successful forging of these systems of community governance depends on the capacity of the actors within the system to develop and manage complex and flexible networks of relationships. Telematics ‐ the integrated use of information and communication technologies ‐ are increasingly recognized as fundamental to the development and maintenance of these systems and networks. Approaching the subject from a local authority perspective, explores how the formation, maintenance and management of the organizational and political networks involved in community governance can be facilitated by telematics. Discusses some of the most important policy issues which emerge.

Drawing on case studies from Denmark, The Netherlands and the UK, this book discusses new information and communication technologies. It explores their role in the restructuring of Western democratic political systems.