This book describes how the Systems Engineering (SE) methodology can be used to harness technology and enhance democracy within any political system. Moreover, it provides a practical roadmap for countries and politicians who are willing to change their existing system of governance to one that allows the people to have a meaningful say. In this regard, the book compares and contrasts two countries, Mauritius and Australia, highlighting how SE and e-democracy can be implemented in different contexts.

As the 21st century has seen, lifelong learning has become more important as many countries have emerged into “learning societies”. With these learning societies, adult and community education, along with new technologies, play a major role in shaping and reshaping their economic, political, and cultural realities. Handbook of Research on Technologies for Improving the 21st Century Workforce: Tools for Lifelong Learning addresses how technologies impact the combination of workforce education and adult learning. This comprehensive collection of research from leading authorities and front line faculty seeks to equip adult learners/employees with the right knowledge and skills to continue to contribute to the economy given the importance of the essential role of technologies.

A unique study of public service evolution in the 15 post-soviet countries from independence to date. It reveals the diversity in their transformation shaped by historical and cultural traditions and the soviet legacy they inherited, as well as by the impact of the political will of ruling elites, all of which influenced the socio-economic and governance models these countries adapted. Its value lays with the fact that it is a collaborative outcome of prominent practitioners, who actively participated in the transformation process, and leading scholars representing all 15 post-soviet countries. It is valuable addition to the body of knowledge of public administration, allowing for improved understanding of the complexity and depth of change that has taken place over the past 30 years. It provides an in-depth analysis of the public service reform process; a subject relevant to the countries of the Region and beyond.

Cities are becoming the wealth producing centers of national economies. Increasing the operational efficiency of the city will bring a competitive edge to the whole system. Yet, many city subsystems cannot work together, creating significant problems and inefficiencies. City Competitiveness and Improving Urban Subsystems: Technologies and Applications uses information science perspectives to improve working subsystems in transportation, sewage, electricity, water, communication, education, health, governance, and infrastructure since their efficient and synchronized operation is vital for a competitive city. This pioneering approach will interest researchers, professionals, and policymakers in urban economy, regional planning, and information science disciplines who wish to improve the competitiveness of their cities.

The advent of social media has had varying effects across fields, industries, and governments. As more individuals rely on this technology, its uses continue to develop and expand. Social media has forever changed the way in which politics are discussed, social movements are formed, and how governments interact with the public. To fully understand the future of social media, further study is required. The Research Anthology on Social Media's Influence on Government, Politics, and Social Movements investigates how social media is used within governments as well as the history behind the technology. The book also examines best practices, tactics, and challenges associated with utilizing social media platforms for social movements. Covering key topics such as communication, interactive technology, and social change, this major reference work is ideal for government officials, industry professionals, policymakers, administrators, business owners, managers, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Gerald Sussman offers a detailed critical analysis of the political dimensions of 21st century communication/information technologies, mass media and transnational networks.

In the field of educational administration there have been several years of active debate over how America's school systems are run. This title offers an unorthodox solution by presenting administration as an arena for critical reflection and humanistic action.

Social media platforms do not just circulate political ideas, they support manipulative disinformation campaigns. While some of these disinformation campaigns are carried out directly by individuals, most are waged by software, commonly known as bots, programmed to perform simple, repetitive, robotic tasks. Some social media bots collect and distribute legitimate information, while others communicate with and harass people, manipulate trending algorithms, and inundate systems with spam. Campaigns made up of bots, fake accounts, and trolls can be coordinated by one person, or a small group of people, to give the illusion of large-scale consensus. Some political regimes use political bots to silence opponents and to push official state messaging, to sway the vote during elections, and to defame critics, human rights defenders, civil society groups, and journalists. This book argues that such automation and platform manipulation, amounts to a new political communications mechanism that Samuel Woolley and Philip N. Noward call "computational propaganda." This differs from older styles of propaganda in that it uses algorithms, automation, and human curation to purposefully distribute misleading information over social media networks while it actively learns from and mimicks real people so as to manipulate public opinion across a diverse range of platforms and device networks. This book includes cases of computational propaganda from nine countries (both democratic and authoritarian) and four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia), covering propaganda efforts over a wide array of social media platforms and usage in different types of political processes (elections, referenda, and during political crises).