8 th may 2009
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Modelling Democracy: e-democracy and decision-making - Towards a User Generated State? John Morison QUB. 8 th May 2009. Web 2.0 (Next generation of computing). Web 2.0 . The new revolution in information Not new technology but new end user focus - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Modelling Democracy: e-democracy and decision-making - Towards a User Generated State?
John Morison QUB
8th May 2009
Web 2.0(Next generation of computing)
Web 2.0 The new revolution in
information Not new technology but
new end user focus User generated content
(file sharing not portals) Enhanced creativity Increased interactionSocial networking, ebay, Flickr,
Skype, Amazon, RSS, Google / Stumble, YouTube
(Open source, mashups, twitter, wikis, blogs, Facebook, etc, etc)
Web 2.0 Gov 2.0 The Power of Information Re-invigorate electoral politics Re-engineer public services
Re-inventing the “state” and idea of the “public”
Power of information
Free availability of public dataRe-use of “official” dataGovernment in partnershipMore information
User-generated sites Mash-ups – sharing data, Personalised governmentMore involvement
The Places Database +Analytical Windows
Places analytical windows http://www.places.communities.gov.uk/places Floor Targets Interactive (FTI) http://www.fti.communities.gov.uk/fti/ State of the Cities database http://www.socd.communities.gov.uk/socd Green Spaces – Community Maps: Digital and Social Geographies of Great Britain
http://www.gps.communities.gov.uk/communitymaps Data4nr.net - Data for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration - http://www.data4nr.net/introduction/ Indices of Multiple Deprivation - http://www.imd.communities.gov.uk/
+ http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk/. http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/maps/ http://www.greenstat.org.uk http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk http://www.esd.org.uk/esdtoolkit/Communities/LIS http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/cross-government/capability/reports.aspx
MySociety applicationsWritetoThem.com; TheyWorkforYou.com
Power of Information as key
“the information revolution”…”the smarter, more strategic state”…
“the democratising power of information”
Gordon Brown April 2009
Two aspects of the smarter, user generated state
1. Improving participation in formal democracy
2. Re-establishing the basis of public services
1. Improving democracy:Re-engagement with formal politics
Voter turn-out less than 60% Membership of political parties less than 25% of level in 1960sBut …60% express “an interest” in politics; 70% willing to sign a petition;
20% have boycotted products …
Making democracy and government work in the UK
Governance of Britain – a Green Paper
“a national conversation … [about how] .. to forge a new relationship between government and citizen”
Key goal – “to invigorate democracy”
What is being done to develop democracy?
Democratic innovations Central Government – citizen/consumerLocal Government – consumer/citizenE-government – e-citizen/participant
Big Government and democratic innovations
Referendums Deliberative forums
- Citizen summits- Citizens’ juries
Petitions and e-petitions
(+ duty of Local Councils to respond)
e-consultations
Local government and active citizens
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
- LSPs to produce ground-up LAAs- Vision, targets, milestones, Neighbourhood Action Plans,
Neighbourhood Charters etc. - “duty to involve” The Community Power Pack (2008) Local Democracy National Projecte-engagement techniques
Local authorities = “vibrant hubs” or “democratic centres”
• “duty of democracy”• generation of ideas, volunteering, “take part”
campaigns• “well-being duty”,• participatory planning • Civic Champions,• Empowerment fund, • community kitties
Participatory Budgeting
Information to support priority decision-making
Local Authorities and neighbourhoods
ICT supported£10 m since 2004 (2-3% annually)
Sustainable Communities Act 2007“a change in the relationships in British politics”
Bottom-up suggestions from community
Financial information to support local take-over of functions
Proposals shortlisted by “Selector”
Sec of State required to implement
2. Public Services and the Modernisation of Government – a continuing
phenomenon a style of government aimed at
reinvigorating public services Introducing new concepts of efficiency
including elements of private sector efficiency, but without ceding control to the same extent as with earlier versions of privatisation
to ensure that the public sector will operate in a way that is “as efficient, dynamic and effective as anything in the private sector”
a philosophy of government as well as a means of government
Re-engineering Public Services
Transformational Government in the UK
“enabled by technology” 6 year plan- customer-centric, shared services, professionalismLinked to goals of increased economic productivity and
enhanced social justice
Public services and Citizens
The individualisation / personalisation of servicesThe construction of ideas of communities, consumers,
enterprising and prudential selves, Active, responsible, informed and engaged citizens
Gov 2.0 and services
“equipping people with far better, richer information “ “using new technology to foster dialogue about public services
with citizens and civil servants”User-focused, interactive Personal budgets for health and social care
Information-led + citizen-centred
Information for choice
Performance measured against the new set of 198 National Indicators in force from 1 April 2008
How do we interpret this?
Within liberal democracy?Something more?
Democratic sufficiency?
How do we better interpret this?
“we must conduct an ascending analysis of power, starting that is, from its infinitesimal mechanisms … and then see how these have been – and continue to be – invested, colonized, utilized, involuted, transformed, displaced, extended etc. by ever more general mechanisms and by forms of global domination”
Michel Foucault
Governmentality and the constitutional subject
Who is the legal subject summoned up by these discourses?
- How different from the classical “man of law” as equal, rational, rights bearing, autonomous homo juridicus?
- How can these ideas of citizenship be contested? What understanding of power, the state and
democracy is being invoked to direct these strategies?
- Foucauldian approaches give more complex view of the proliferation of governmental technologies and subjects
What is left of our idea of the “public”?- (public space, public interest, public service etc.)- How can counter publics emerge?
The choosing citizen /consumer
Public services replicating idea of choice from private sector of competing providers
But not only about “exiting the market” and punishing poor providers.
Passing control back to service users.
I.e. private law customer rights v. public law ideas of control in citizen-centred service
Individualised services( e.g. individual budgets for
health, not health budgets)….
The enhanced consumer
The (marginally) enhanced consumer
The failed consumer
The contributing citizen
University educationNHS Dentistry Road use
The contributing citizen - surrendering rights
The watched and controlled citizen
The responsible citizen
Self-governing and prudentRisk managingInsured
Beyond the consumer state to the user-generated state?
The interactive state The active, consulted, empowered
citizen / consumer control with user of services• personalised• participatory• interactive • on demand• transparent
Government 2.0
How do we contest these ideas of citizenship?
Does interaction + user generation + information + participation = democracy?