從“資訊控制”的觀點反思“電子化政府”的樂觀迷思

Abstract

理想上，電子化政府不僅需要建立一個網網相連的通信網路，不僅將國家資訊更主動與方便地傳遞與民眾使用，以達到資訊近用與公開的目的，並且也認為隨著互動式科技的發展，重新界定傳統的政治活動，創造新的對話式民主機制，不但消除原有空間上的限制，使得國家原有資訊控制的角色逐漸退卻，並且與人民有直接互動與決策的可能。亦即，透過資訊科技創新，實踐「電子民主」的精神，建構一個平等參與的互動通道。這樣的觀點似乎過於樂觀，雖然指出了新科技將會為人們帶來可欲的結果，卻忽略了新傳播科技引進到社會的過程，以及可能招致的負面效果。他們不僅跳過影響資訊科技發展與使用的各種政治與經濟等物質條件，同時忽略資訊科技也可以作為便政府控制更細緻控制資訊工具的可能。

As interactive technologies progress, an electronic government needs not only to build up an interconnected communication networks for the purpose of information access to the public, but ideally it also needs to redefine political activities and create a new dialogue-like democratic mechanism. It means the decline of information control of the state and the possibility of policy making with the public. It seems, however, too optimistic to achieve electronic democracy through the innovation of information technologies. While there are some positive consequences of information technologies, negative outcomes introduced by new technologies will be inevitable. This is due to the results of overlooking the political and economical conditions that influences the development and usage of information technologies, and reflecting the possibility that the government will have information controlled in a more sophisticated way.