EU Democracy and E-Democracy: Can the Two Be Reconciled?

Abstract

For many observers neither EU-democracy nor e-democracy exist in any meaningful sense. With regard to the latter this is certainly the case, though this does not mean that we are not witnessing innovative experimentation with information and communication technologies (ICT) in the democratic realm. This chapter focuses on the prospects for e-democratic experimentation in the EU political setting. Drawing on normative democratic theory we look at four dimensions of e-democratic innovation: ICT techniques aimed at improving mechanisms of (1) representation, (2) participation and (3) deliberation and (4) opening new channels of contestation. The aim of the chapter is to survey some recent edemocratic innovations within the framework of these four broader normative visions and, in doing so, investigate the potential impact of ICT driven innovation on EU democratisation.

Effects of the internet on participation: Study of a public policy referendum in Brazil

“…In the last two decades, there have been increasing numbers of attempts to allow voting via the Internet. Governments have experimented with Internet voting (i-voting) 1 both in local and national elections (Alvarez, Hall, and Trechsel 2009;Goodman, Pammett, and DeBardeleben 2010;Mendez 2013). Parties have introduced i-voting to select candidates and conduct internal referendums (Done 2002;Lanzone and Rombi 2014).…”

“…Parties have introduced i-voting to select candidates and conduct internal referendums (Done 2002;Lanzone and Rombi 2014). In a similar vein, a variety of participatory governance processes have introduced i-voting to increase citizen engagement, ranging from participatory budgeting in Brazil to referenda in Switzerland (Peixoto 2009;Sampaio, Maia, and Marques 2011;Nitzsche, Pistoia, and Elsäßer 2012;Stortone and De Cindio 2014;Mendez 2013).…”

Αντιλήψεις Μαθητών Δευτεροβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης Για Τον Ρόλο Του Σχολείου Στην Ανάπτυξη Της Ιδιότητας Του Πολίτη

“…Το διαδίκτυο λειτουργεί όλο και περισσότερο ως η δεξαμενή πληροφόρησης και το μέσο επικοινωνίας και αλληλεπίδρασης για τον πολίτη -και ιδίως για τη νέα γενιά-που διεκδικεί και αμφισβητεί. Τέλος, υποστηρίζεται ότι η δύναμη των ΤΠΕ μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί ώστε να ακουστεί η "φωνή" εναλλακτικών απόψεων και θέσεων στη δημόσια συζήτηση που πολλές φορές αγνοούνται από τα παραδοσιακά και κυρίαρχα μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης (Mendez, 2013). Deth et al, 2011;Eckstein et al, 2012).…”