GSA #10114

September 23, 2004
Contact: Andrea Johnson-Stewart (202) 501-1231
andrea.johnson-stewart@gsa.gov

Washington, DC--By a huge margin, FirstGov.gov has been rated as the number one Federal Web site in the fifth annual e-government report, State and Federal E-Government in the United States, September 2004.  Researchers at Brown University’s Taubman Center for Public Policy evaluated 60 federal Web sites and 1,569 state Web sites for features available online through American government websites.

FirstGov.gov, the U.S. Government’s Official Web Portal, received a score of 88 out of 100.  This is four points up from last year, when the site was also ranked first.  Social Security ranks second, with a score of 65.  The top ranking states are Tennessee with a score of 57 and Maine with a score of 55.

According to the study, “…Firstgov, has an abundance of online transactions.  It incorporates all sorts of different services in an easy to access manner.”  The document goes on to note that, “Even with all this information included on the page, the federal government’s portal is clear and simple, and easy to use.” 

Researchers evaluated 1,629 government Web sites for the presence of various electronic features.  These included online databases, foreign language or language translation, multiple indicators of security policy, digital signatures, email addresses, comment forms, automatic email updates, Web site personalization, PDA accessibility, quality control, and readability level.

For full information on this e-government study, visit www.InsidePolitics.org.

GSA is a centralized federal procurement, property management and policy agency created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. It acquires, on behalf of federal agencies, office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies and services. It also plays a key role in developing and implementing governmentwide policies. GSA, comprised of 13,000 associates, provides services and solutions for the office operations of over one million federal workers located in more than 8,000 government-owned and leased buildings in 2,000 U.S. communities.