Browse or Brush? An Exploration of Citizen-Government Interaction in the Municipal Realm

Abstract

To gain a better understanding about new forms of citizen-government interaction enabled by modern technology, we conducted a survey among citizens who interact with their local government by using a web-based platform or a mobile application. In our paper, we investigate the patterns of online and mobile communication between citizens and local government. Based on logistic regressions, we study who possesses the characteristics that predict communication via web and mobile application. Empirical findings indicate that socio-demographic factors (gender, age, education) predict individuals' usage of web over mobile devices. Those with experience in communicating with local government via traditional channels prefer the web interface to get in touch, whereas frequent communicators are more likely to use mobile phone.