e-government envisioning e-democracy. e-government – potential uses e-information e-services...

e-Governmente-Government

ENVISIONING e-DEMOCRACYENVISIONING e-DEMOCRACY

e-Government – Potential Usese-Government – Potential Uses

ee-information-information

ee-services (basic)-services (basic)

ee-services -services (advanced)(advanced)

ee-input -input (from citizens)(from citizens)

e-democracye-democracy

e-Democracy...Potentiale-Democracy...Potential

promote political equality by equalizing access promote political equality by equalizing access to political informationto political information

promote open government and facilitate inputpromote open government and facilitate input» strengthened sense of citizen engagement – strengthened sense of citizen engagement –

social cohesionsocial cohesion opportunities to reinforce/build communities opportunities to reinforce/build communities

of shared interestof shared interest educational potential – helping make better educational potential – helping make better

citizenscitizens

e-Democracy...Potentiale-Democracy...Potential

more responsive government servicesmore responsive government services» horizontal departmental integration and vertical horizontal departmental integration and vertical

connection to clientsconnection to clients

» flatter organizational designs and greater autonomy for flatter organizational designs and greater autonomy for front-line stafffront-line staff

greater accountability of politicians and public greater accountability of politicians and public servantsservants

» information on performance more easily available to information on performance more easily available to wider audiencewider audience

e-Democracy...the Obstaclese-Democracy...the Obstacles

elites elites » public and private elites have powerful role in the public and private elites have powerful role in the

current policy processcurrent policy process» lack of political will to really open up decision-making lack of political will to really open up decision-making

to outside playersto outside players» lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public

sector leaderssector leaders

general publicgeneral public» lack of interest, knowledge, willingness to participate in lack of interest, knowledge, willingness to participate in

the policy processthe policy process» lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public

(especially older generations)(especially older generations)

e-Democracy...Dangerse-Democracy...Dangers

will reinforce existing inequalitieswill reinforce existing inequalities» digital dividedigital divide

centralization of control over informationcentralization of control over information» surveillancesurveillance» privacy issuesprivacy issues» security issuessecurity issues

will eliminate intermediaries between will eliminate intermediaries between governments and citizensgovernments and citizens

promote fragmentation and the loss of social promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesioncohesion


will eliminate intermediaries between will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizensgovernment and citizens

» legislatorslegislators

» political partiespolitical parties

e-Democracy...Displacing e-Democracy...Displacing Representative DemocracyRepresentative Democracy

““...Parliament may have the most to lose in terms of ...Parliament may have the most to lose in terms of the impacts of the new technologies. ...legislatures the impacts of the new technologies. ...legislatures will be squeezed between a more demanding public will be squeezed between a more demanding public and a wired-up political and permanent executive. As and a wired-up political and permanent executive. As the new technologies make plebiscitary democracy the new technologies make plebiscitary democracy and instantaneous bureaucratic responsiveness more and instantaneous bureaucratic responsiveness more and more possible, there could be less reliance on and more possible, there could be less reliance on representative democracy. Whether ICT ends up representative democracy. Whether ICT ends up weakening or strengthening Parliament...will depend weakening or strengthening Parliament...will depend on how quickly and in what ways technology is used on how quickly and in what ways technology is used in the parliamentary process.”in the parliamentary process.” Paul Thomas, 2000Paul Thomas, 2000


faster democracy?faster democracy?– Bill Gates: “...information technology allows for Bill Gates: “...information technology allows for

business at the speed of the thought.”business at the speed of the thought.”– government at the speed of ___________?government at the speed of ___________?


““A computer lets you make more mistakes A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history faster than any invention in human history with the possible exceptions of handguns and with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.”tequila.”

Mitch RatcliffeMitch Ratcliffe


government at the speed of government at the speed of civic engagementcivic engagement– meaningful exchange and public deliberationmeaningful exchange and public deliberation– forging compromiseforging compromise– developing social cohesiondeveloping social cohesion

» governments’ ability to “make tough decisions stick”governments’ ability to “make tough decisions stick”

Is “good” democracy too slow for the Internet?Is “good” democracy too slow for the Internet?


will eliminate intermediaries between will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizensgovernment and citizens

» legislatorslegislators

» political partiespolitical parties

– make democracy fastermake democracy faster– digital reasoning is binary – yes vs. no choicesdigital reasoning is binary – yes vs. no choices

» political reasoning in a pluralist democracy must be political reasoning in a pluralist democracy must be complex, nuanced, and accommodating of differencescomplex, nuanced, and accommodating of differences


promote fragmentation and the loss of social promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesioncohesion

» citizenship becomes more privatized than community-citizenship becomes more privatized than community-orientedoriented

» governments focused on service delivery (rather than governments focused on service delivery (rather than participation) reinforcing a shallow conception of participation) reinforcing a shallow conception of citizen as customercitizen as customer

» harder to “make tough decisions stick” (social capital)harder to “make tough decisions stick” (social capital)

» isolated individuals more exposed to manipulation by isolated individuals more exposed to manipulation by political and economic elitespolitical and economic elites

e-Governmente-Government

Final Thoughts...Final Thoughts...

Assessing the ImpactAssessing the Impact

““Trying to assess the true importance and Trying to assess the true importance and function of the Net now is like asking the function of the Net now is like asking the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk if they were Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk if they were aware of the potential of frequent flyer aware of the potential of frequent flyer programs.”programs.” Brad FerenBrad Feren

Chief ImagineerChief ImagineerWalt Disney Co.Walt Disney Co.

Assessing the ImpactAssessing the Impact

““...the uses and impacts of ICTs will be shaped and ...the uses and impacts of ICTs will be shaped and conditioned by economic, social and political forces conditioned by economic, social and political forces more than the inherent attributes of the technologies more than the inherent attributes of the technologies themselves. To date the impacts of the new themselves. To date the impacts of the new technologies on Canadian democracy have been more technologies on Canadian democracy have been more incremental, contradictory and less positive than incremental, contradictory and less positive than proponents of electronic democracy and government proponents of electronic democracy and government have predicted. Progress towards stronger democracy have predicted. Progress towards stronger democracy will depend less on technology and more on social will depend less on technology and more on social development, political changes, the structures of development, political changes, the structures of government institutions and the priorities of government institutions and the priorities of government.”government.” Paul Thomas, 2000Paul Thomas, 2000

““The coasts of history are strewn with the The coasts of history are strewn with the wrecks of predictions.”wrecks of predictions.”

James Bryce, 1893James Bryce, 1893

e-government envisioning e-democracy. e-government – potential uses e-information e-services...

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