This article systematically examines the evolution of government websites from their initial forms to contemporary practices. It highlights how government websites have transformed from simple technological applications to tools that drive digital governance, enhance transparency, improve public service efficiency, and strengthen public participation. Additionally, through an in-depth analysis of the current stage of government websites, the article reveals the main challenges and issues they face in practical operation, including a cultural structure that prioritizes “efficiency over fairness,” a supply structure that emphasizes “supply over demand,” and a service structure that leans towards “service over interaction.” Looking ahead, the article predicts the integration of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the metaverse, into government websites and discusses their potential forms and directions. By providing a comprehensive analysis of the history, current status, and future outlook of government websites, the aim is to offer valuable insights for research and practical applications in related fields.
Top“The Past Of Government Websites”: Historical Origins And Framework Evolution
Tracing the history of government website development, the earliest instance dates back to 1991 when the United States government established the first government website, the “National Center for Supercomputing Applications” (NCSA). Subsequently, the Swiss government also launched its government website in 1993. In 1994, the U.S. government introduced the website for the Department of State (state.gov). In the same year, the Danish government initiated the first information plan, “Information Society 2000,” promoting the government's online project and establishing the government website DANMARK.DK. Correspondingly, the HM Treasury of the United Kingdom and the White House of the United States also launched their respective government websites (whitehouse.gov). By 2003, a total of 152 countries worldwide, excluding less developed regions like Africa, had established government websites.
Examining the history of China's government websites, categorized by development periods, it can be divided into four phases (Nie, 2013). The first phase (1996 to 1999) marks the establishment period of China's government websites. The Hainan Provincial Government created China's first government website in 1996. The second phase (1999 to 2001) signifies the initial development stage of China's government websites. During this period, the State Economic and Trade Commission, along with more than 40 departments, jointly launched the milestone “Government Online Project,” significantly advancing the construction of China's government websites (Nie, 2013). The third phase (2001 to 2006) represents the rapid development stage of China's government websites. In this stage, the “Outline of the National Government System Informatization Construction Plan for 2001-2005” was promulgated, specifying detailed requirements for government website construction, thereby fostering the rapid growth of China's government websites. The fourth phase (2006 to the present) characterizes the leap-forward development stage of China's government websites. Since the official launch of the central government website on January 1, 2006, China's government website system has taken shape, including the central government website, State Council department websites, and websites of people's governments and departments at various local levels. This phase holds significant historical importance for the development of China's government websites.
In terms of service forms, Zhang et al. (2007) summarize the development of China's government websites into three stages: the technology-oriented stage, content-oriented stage, and service-oriented stage. They assert that the current stage has evolved into the service-oriented stage. The crucial task in the current stage of government website construction is to continuously enhance various service functions and further develop personalized service functions for different types of audiences. He (2013) divides the development process of government websites into stages of government information release, one-way interaction between the government and users, two-way interaction between the government and users, online transaction processing, and seamless integration. According to the China Software Evaluation Center, the development of China's government websites has mainly undergone three stages (Zhang et al., 2022). The initial “technology-oriented stage” primarily focused on establishing the infrastructure with the goal of achieving a government website penetration rate exceeding 80%. The mid-term “content-oriented stage” emphasized the breadth of content, setting a target of over 20,000 government services. The later “service-oriented stage” focused on content quality and user experience, aiming for complete societal recognition.
Based on this literature review, this article divides the development history of government websites into the following stages: