2010-04-26-皮尤-Government_Online_68页_2mb

Summary of "Government Online" Report

Source: Pew Research Center, April 27, 2010

Key Findings

1. Prevalence of Online Government Engagement

   • In the preceding year, 82% of US internet users (representing 61% of adults) accessed government websites to obtain information or complete transactions.
   • Common activities include:
     • 48% sought public policy information.
     • 41% downloaded government forms.
     • 33% renewed driver’s licenses.
     • 23% inquired about health or safety advice.
   • Demographic Trends: High-income (>$75k) and college-educated individuals engage more in online government services. Whites and minorities use social media for government info but prefer traditional methods for searches.

2. Digital Platforms for Government Interaction

   • Search Engines: 44% of users relied on search engines to find government sites.
   • Social Media & Blogs: 31% of internet users interacted with government via blogs, social networking, email alerts, or videos.
   • Success Rates: 51% of users achieved their goals on government websites.

3. Attitudes Toward Online Government Services

   • Providing services (e.g., online transactions) is viewed more importantly (67-68% rate as “very important”) than posting alerts on social media (21% “very important”).
   • Government Participatory Class: 23% of internet users actively engage in online debates or groups to influence policy, correlating with higher income/education.

4. Accessibility and Trust

   • Government data users (40%) express less trust deficits but higher skepticism toward specific administrations (e.g., disapproval of Obama among this group).
   • Actions (e.g., stimulus spending transparency) resonate more with minorities or low-income groups than general information services.

5. Channel Preferences

   • Overall Preference: Telephone (35%) and online contact (28%) are top preferences, but internet users favor online methods (37% vs. 33%).
   • Heavy Users: Rated more positive toward government openness but align with political ideologies.

Methodology Notes:

• Sample: 2,258 adults surveyed via telephone (Jan-Dec 2009) in 12 languages.
• Margin of Error: ±2-3% for subsamples.
• Design Effect: Accounts for weighting and sampling inefficiencies (deff=1.18).

This report highlights challenges in digital divides and varying trust levels, emphasizing that online government engagement may disproportionately benefit socioeconomically advantaged groups.