In many countries, "e-government" is more political rhetoric than hard reality

In many countries, "e-government" is more political rhetoric than hard reality. But not in the tiny Baltic nation of Estonia, where democracy is running about as close to real-time as you can get. Estonia's cabinet meetings are a good example. Each week, government ministers gather at a few long, grey tables in a seemingly spartan room not far from the country's parliament building. The walls of the room may be mostly bare, but the tables certainly are not. Spaced at intervals along the table tops are sleek, flat-panel monitors, one for each minister. Underneath the desks are high-end computers, each hard-wired to the internet via broadband connections. The day's agenda is displayed on a giant projection screen. Any cabinet member who happens to be travelling can participate in the meeting via instant messaging. As the meeting progresses, press officers send updates to the Estonian government's website. In the space of 30 seconds, government decisions are made available to any Estonian citizen with an internet connection. None of this seems outrageously hi-tech here in Estonia. The cabinet's been holding meetings like this since the year 2000. The decision to open up the workings of government in this way stretch back to 1992, when Estonia achieved independence.