---

Written by James N. Danziger, William H. Dutton, Rob Kling and Kenneth L. Kraemer Columbia University Press, 1982.

BOOK COVER SYNOPSIS: Computer and electronic data processing are a major technological innovation in the operations operations of governments and business and organizations across America. Computers and Politics empirically analyzes the politics related to this innovation, using data collected in American local governments as part of the Urban Information Systems (URBIS) Project carred out from 1973 to 1978.


Computers and Politics examines the control of and the interests served by computers in American local governments. Focusing on questions of power and influence, the authors evaluate the impacts of computing on government services and management decision-making. The authors also provide those managers and officials who make policies with insight and guidance for the better use of information technology.


This book begins by looking at the concept of technology, then develops a definition of computer technology as a "package.: Four alternative perspectives for understanding the politics of computing are explicated---managerial rationalism, technocratic elitism, organizational pluralism, and reinforcement politics. Then, considering these perspectives, the authors provide a theoretical framework as a means of analyzing the current effects of technology within the context of computer use by local governments. Incorportating extensive empirical research, later chapters examine the scope of understanding each of these perspectives provides for the key issues--whether there is a differential distribution of benefits from computing; the identification of those benefits with major decisional control over computing; the uses of computer-based information by policy makers; the impact of the external environment on development of the government's computer package; and the selective use of computing across urban public services.


A central conclusion of this informative study is that computing reinforces prevailing structures of control and prevailing biases within the government. The authors intelligently argue for a reversal of these existing patterns and for some "democratization" of computer technology. This penetrating analysis conclucdes with the authors' suggestions on who should govern computer technology in local government and whose interests should be served.

[back to Recent Publications] [Students and Courses] [Scholarly projects/interests] [Handy Links]
Professor Rob Kling The Information Society (journal) Center for Social Informatics 10th & Jordan, Library 012 Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405-1801	http://www.slis.indiana.edu/kling/ http://www.slis.indiana.edu/TIS/ http://www.slis.indiana.edu/CSI/ 812-855-9763 -- Fax: 855-6166