In e-gov we trust

Most Americans believe electronic government can enhance the ability of law enforcement and public health officials to protect the nation from terrorist attacks, according to a new national survey.

Seventy percent of the public believes e-government will improve the ability of agencies, such as the FBI, the Centers for Disease Control and local police departments, to coordinate a response to emergencies.

The study was co-sponsored by Electronic Data Systems Corp. of Plano, Texas, and the Washington-based Council for Excellence in Government.

Al Edmonds, president of U.S. government for EDS, said Americans have come to view e-government as more than just the posting of information on Web sites.

"They see e-government as a way to improve operations of government, such as sharing information and data across departments and agencies at the federal, state and local levels," he said. "They see it as a way to capture, identify and authenticate critical information and to share that information in real time with government decision-makers and law enforcement officials. They see it as a way to be better protected from another terrorist attack."