Lay summary: The article explains the three key U.S. congressional legislative approaches to improve information sharing in the federal counterterrorism domain. These approaches are based on either coercing federal agencies, calling on their voluntary consent, or coaxing them with funding or legislation, to share information. The article analyzes each approach and proposes the integrative strategy of employing one or a combination of these approaches to suit each separate information sharing challenge. Publication significance: Effective information sharing in the U.S. federal counterterrorism domain is a critical challenge that presents security dilemmas but is essential to protect national interests and save lives. U.S. Congress is a pivotal body in addressing this challenge. The article categorizes and analyzes U.S. congressional approaches to improve counterterrorism information sharing. An innovative strategy of integrative application of the approaches based on individual case assessment is proposed.

Lay summary: The article analyzes performance data from President Obama’s flagship Open Data Program. The Open Data Program encouraged federal agencies to publish government data on the Open Data website to increase government transparency and collaboration. It inspired similar programs worldwide. The data analysis reveals that poor program performance: Most agencies either did not participate in the program or participated minimally; data published was often incomprehensible or not of high-quality. Publication significance: President Obama’s Open Data Program presented a fresh approach to increasing government transparency and inter-government information sharing. The article presents the first analysis of Open Data Program performance data and finds that the program performed poorly. It is essential that future government transparency initiatives review these results and engage with understanding why the Open Data Program did not thrive.

Lay summary: The article investigates why and how certain public sector information technology (IT) projects are successfully implemented whilst others are not. The article discovers that, in public organizations, bureaucrats, technologists, and politicians form coalitions with a shared technical interest. These coalitions develop concrete project agendas and are the driving force behind successful IT projects. Publication significance: The failure or success of IT projects in the public sector is a key challenge to the ability of public organizations to operate effectively and utilize technological innovations. Therefore, it is critical to understand what factors drive these projects. The article draws on original research to make a surprising discovery: the successful implementation of IT projects in the public sector depends on the influence of interest-based coalitions of bureaucrats, technologists and politicians.

Lay summary: The article applies theory about high-performance teams, developed in the private sector, to public sector teams tasked with implementing IT projects. The article compares two different forms of project teams: work groups committees. It proposes that work groups are more effective at ensuring project implementation. Drawing on 2 case studies the article provides general lessons on staffing, structuring and supervising public sector IT workgroups. Publication significance: The smooth governance of a country depends on efficient public sector IT project implementation. Yet, the public sector consistently lags behind private sector technological efficiency. The article addresses this critical challenge to public sector legitimacy. The article compares two team project models, the workgroup and the committee, and presents important findings that provide insight into the design and implementation of effective public sector team projects.

Lay summary: Why does information technology (IT) in the public sector of countries with advanced IT achievements lag so far behind the private sector? Using Israel as a case study, the article demonstrates that political interests in the public sector compromise the efficient use of IT. The article finds that IT projects and advances are used by politicians and bureaucrats to consolidate power and advance agency-centric interests. This leads to government gridlock instead of improved services to citizens. Publication significance: The article addresses a pressing issue for democratic systems: do advanced IT tools improve the quality of democratic accountability and service delivery or is the political context an overriding factor? The article finds that if the political context is one of protecting and advancing personal and agency-centric interests then IT advances become utilized in political power-struggles. Whilst costing taxpayers dearly, IT advances do not improve accountability or service delivery to citizens.

Lay summary: Social scientists have applied new science concepts (from quantum mechanics, chaos theory and new evolutionary biology) to political theory, in particular arguing that the principle of self-organization reflects the dynamics of liberal democracy. The article argues that this view is inaccurate and damaging. The self organizing principle does not depend on or lead to democracy. Furthermore this approach detracts from a focus on democratic institutions as the basis of a stable, healthy democracy. Publication significance: Understanding the elements that lead to the formation and maintenance of democratic systems is critical to understand how to nurture emerging democracies and maintain established ones. This article argues that the popular equation of the new sciences’ concept of self-organization with the essence of liberal democracy is inaccurate. Instead, it emphasizes a focus on democratic institutions as the elements that shape the character of democratic systems and can ensure their continuity.

Lay summary: What drives successful IT projects in the public sector? The article examines the leadership skills necessary to implement such projects. Surprisingly, the article suggests that technical and administrative skills are not the most important. Instead, the ability to navigate organizational politics is critical. Leaders with political skill tailor IT projects to fit the reality of their organization; leaders with primarily technical skill tend to rely on less successful generic solutions. Publication significance: Public sector IT projects often suffer from poor implementation, failing to meet their budget and time-schedule. This article enriches our understanding of the leadership skills necessary to ensure successful project implementation. It finds that technical and administrative skills must be accompanied by political skill. This finding has significant practical implications for public organizations and also broadens the scope of scholarly research on organizational leadership.