BY YVONNE REICHARDTUNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

2008

Electronic Democracy

The enhancement of democratic processes with information technology.

What is Electronic Democracy?

Ages of Digital Democracy

1950’s: Cybernetics – the beginning of the collaboration between computing technology and automated efforts and conflict resolution

1970’s – 1980’s: Teledemocracy - new initiatives in 2 major areas: TV and social links

1990’s: Internet - a cheap, instantaneous, and user-friendly medium

Main Visions of Cyberspace Politics

Communitarian – social links

Economical – power based on exchange of ideas

Sequences of the democratic processSequences of the democratic process Related problemsRelated problems

Information

Discussion

Decision

Lack of transparency in political institutions

The narrowness of the public sphere

The insufficient citizen participation in public decisions

Core Issues

Dimensions of E-Democracy

Information

Discussion

Online Decision-making and Participation

Main Assumptions on which e-Democracy is Based

A very demanding conception of citizenship

The myth of political transparency

A democracy reduced to discussion

The end of intermediary bodies?

Questions

What sort of information do we need to be truly informed, and able to make rational decisions?

How would NOT having intermediary bodies make a democracy better (or worse)?

References

Thierry Vedel (2006). The Idea of Electronic Democracy: Origins, Visions and Questions. Parliamentary Affairs: UK Politics and The Internet - The First Decade, 59(2), 226-235.  Retrieved February 18, 2008, from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 1072719461).