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Daniell Newman (Political Science Major)
"Digital Government: The Next American Revolution?"
Sponsor: Professor Bruce Cain, Political Science
Project Description
Daniell's research in the burgeoning field of eGovernment will examine the structure, implementation, and deployment issues of the use of the Internet as a tool for governance in the United States. For his Senior Honors Thesis in Political Science, he will travel to Washington D.C. and Sacramento to conduct case studies of the eGovernment plans of the State of California, US Treasury Department, and a plan created for the federal government by the Council for Excellence in Government. Daniell will determine if a combination of elements of these efforts could interwork with additional inter-system interfaces, to provide a system of digital governance accessible to all. He will also evaluate the pervasiveness of such services and the quality of access to disadvantaged classes, which will either bridge or increase the split of societal groups across the Digital Divide.
Scholar's Photo
Scholar's Journal
Being a Haas Scholar was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Perhaps the best part of the experience was getting to share it with nineteen remarkable students each of whom had incredibly interesting ideas about their respective fields and about life in general. Getting to know them and to share the year with them was a blessing. Each Haas Scholar taught me a great deal about their field and expressed a genuine interest in my area of research, but more than that they all proved to be good friends.
The fellowship itself was an incredible opportunity. Through my research I learned practical research methods that remain useful to me now as a student at Harvard Law. The fellowship also made it possible for me to work closely and under the guidance of Professor Bruce Cain. In addition to his immeasurable help as my thesis advisor and mentor, Professor Cain became a true friend. Leah Carroll, the program coordinator, was there with us every step of the way supporting our research, making sure that things ran smoothly, putting together our events, and planning the wonderful symposium where we presented our research findings. The year would not have been the same without her guidance and support. The program was incredibly generous. My fellowship funded a laptop computer and a trip to Washington D.C. to facilitate my research. I had the opportunity to meet and discuss issues of electronic governance with the people at the leading edge of the field who are creating and implementing the very programs and technologies I was studying. In the end I spoke to dozens of people, read though thousands of documents, examined hundred of E-Government plans, changed my theories and ideas about the subject countless times, and in the end discovered that I had enjoyed every minute of it. I learned more about the workings of government, the Internet, their interrelation and accompanying issues than I could have possibly anticipated when I started my research. I would recommend the Haas Scholars Program to any student who is serious about delving deeply into an area that truly interests them, as I am certain that this fellowship provides and opportunity that cannot be matched by any other program on campus.
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