On the way to the government 2.0? Analysis of the use of social networks by Spanish ministries in order to promote transparency and citizen participation

Abstract

Spain´s transparency law, approved in 2013, commits administrations to being an active actor in providing information to the citizen, but also to interacting with them and to promote their participation. To that end, it takes advantage of the potential opportunities offered by Internet and the benefits of the new information technologies. Three years after their entry into force, we analyze in this study how Spanish ministries are using social networks in order to reach these goals and to move forward the government 2.0 or open government. Through direct observations and monitoring their profiles we can see that its use is still being fairly limited both in the dissemination of information and seeking citizen participation.