This survey of empirical research on computing in government updates a review that appeared ten years earlier in Public Administration Review. It focuses primarily on research related to the management of computing and on differences between public and private sector management of computing because the bulk of the new research and findings are here. The impact of computing on employment, structure, worklife, decision making, organizational politics, and constitutional issues is treated briefly because there is little new research and few new findings. The authors conclude that although the use of computers in government at all levels of the federal system has increased greatly over the last decade, research on computing in government has declined precipitously.

China transformed its economy by shifting from technological nationalism to a more pragmatic strategy of developing national capabilities in conjunction with multinational corporations. Consistent with this transformation, China has revamped its industrial and technology policies to become a major producer of computer hardware and a major market for computing products. In 2000, mainland Chinese purchased more than seven million PCs, while computer hardware production grew to $23 billion. China's policies clearly drew on the developmental approach of other Asia Pacific countries that became leaders in the global computer industry through the strong support of government industrial and technology policies. China has likewise become a major force in the global PC industry, as both the most attractive growth market and as a large producer. It has done so through a combination of industry promotion and entrepreneurial energy. New challenges loom as China joins the World Trade Organization and faces more pressure to open its market to foreign competition.