Electronic Services in a Decentralized State

The Netherlands puts much effort in establishing itself as a modern country and as on of the leading coutries in the information age. At the same time, however, it has been losing its positoin as a forerunner in the electronic delivery of public services. This is mainly due to the fact that most pulic services are delivered at the level of the Dutch municipalities. At this level eService development is almost stagnant because of a) lacking nunicipal resources and limited potential benefits and b) a reserved, soft attitude by central government which has adhered to the Dutch institutional principles of municipal autonomy and the consensus model. In recent years, however, we see some developments which may help to solve the existing stalemate ans may indeed bring the Netherlands back on track.