E-democracy (a mix of the words electronic and democracy), also known as digital democracy or Internet democracy, uses information and communication technology (ICT) in political and governance processes. While offering new tools for transparency and participation, e-democracy also faces growing challenges such as misinformation, bias in algorithms, and the concentration of power in private platforms. The term is commonly attributed to digital activist Steven Clift. E-democracy closely follows e-government and applies ICT to help enchance the quality of voting services, public opinion polling and provide access to the broader populace.
Structure E-democracy uses digital media to such as television, radio, the Internet, cell phones, and electronic polling systems to involve more people in political discourse.
History The earliest use of e-democracy dates back to the development of Minnesota E-Democracy Project in July 1994 by then student Steven Clift of Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. The project at first primarily was used to access information from the candidates and info about the candidates running for office in the upcoming state and national election later in the year. Using help by Twin Cities Freenet and the Minnesota Regional Network, the website was opened in August of the same year to the general public. Early use of listserv and Hypermail was also integrated in the website. In Italy, teledemocracy was introduced in Bologna in 1995 with the introduction of the project Iperbole (Hyperbole). The project was aimed at the population of the city (half a million) that gave free Internet access for a small fee. Access to online forums, discussion groups, and municipal services were provided by Cineca and co-funded by the EU. In 1999, the Ministry of University and Research and Cineca carried out the first virtual European-wide election to elect around 30,000 professors and researchers using smart electronic cards. In the European Parliament, OVIDE (Organisation du Videotex du Député Européen) started as a concept in the mid 1980s, especially after the 1979 European Parliament election. The service was branched at communication and information. Among the features for both include electronic mail invitations, allowing mailing lists, request for parliamentary allowances in the form of electronic forms, legislative procedure fact sheets, Eurostat statistics and gateways to other EU databases. The multilingual service was also first European online services to present information in both Videotex and ASCII modes.
Concept and approach The concept involves endorsing individuals or policies committed to leveraging internet technologies to amplify public engagement without modifying or substituting existing constitutions. The approach includes data collection, analysis of advantages and disadvantages, evaluation of interests, and facilitating discussions around potential outcomes. As the digital age progressed, so too did the interaction between governments and citizens. The advent and rapid adoption of the internet globally catalyzed this transformation. With high internet penetration in many regions, politics have increasingly relied on the internet as a primary source of information for numerous people. This digital shift has been supported by the rise in online advertising among political candidates and groups actively trying to sway public opinion or directly influence legislators. This trend is especially noticeable among younger voters, who often regard the internet as their primary source of information due to its convenience and ability to streamline their information-gathering process. The user-friendly nature of search engines like Google and social networks encourages increased citizen engagement in political research and discourse. Social networks, for instance, offer platforms where individuals can voice their opinions on governmental issues without fear of judgement. The Internet facilitates citizens in accessing and disseminating information about politicians while simultaneously providing politicians with insights from a broader citizen base. This collaborative approach to decision-making and problem-solving empowers citizens. It accelerates decision-making processes by politicians, thereby fostering a more efficient society. Gathering citizen feedback and perspectives is essential to a politician's role. The Internet functions as a conduit for effective engagement with a larger audience. Consequently, this enhanced communication may influence how the American government interacts with the public. The 2016 U.S. presidential election is an example of social media integration in political campaigns, where both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton actively utilized Twitter as a communication tool. These platforms allow candidates to shape public perceptions while also humanizing their personas, suggesting that political figures are as approachable and relatable as ordinary individuals. Through resources such as Google, the Internet enables every citizen to readily research political topics. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram encourage political engagement, allowing users to share their political views and connect with like-minded individuals.
It feels like the Labour frontbench is further away from our members than at any point in our history, and the digital revolution can help bring the party closer together … I'm going to ask our NEC to see whether we can have digital branches and digital delegates to the conference. Not replacing what we do but providing an alternative platform. It's a way of organizing for a different generation of people who do their politics differently, get their news differently. As of the 2020s, e-democracy's landscape continues to evolve alongside advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data. These technologies promise to expand citizen participation further, enhance transparency, and boost the overall efficiency and responsiveness of democratic governance. E-democracy promotes wider access to information, and its inherent decentralization challenges censorship practices.
Digital mobilization in social movements
The Arab Spring
During the 2010–11 Arab Spring, applications like Bambuser and Ustream were used by demonstraters and protesters to livestream videos, share inside information and bypass government restrictions to view the outside world. Citizen journalism played a major part in foreign media such as Associated Press to report undergoing conflicts within the area.
Occupy movement
The Occupy movement significantly used radical transparency against corporations and political elites. By livestreaming and "live-tweeting" internal meetings movements, the movement also gave transparency to anyone to join the movement. In its peak, the movement managed to cover 82 countries around the world as it grew from social media such as Facebook and X.
15-M Movement
While mostly being an assembly-based movement, the 15-M Movement (or Los Indignados) began to use the media to communicate their own narratives and drew inspiration from other movements at the time, inclduing the Arab Spring, the Kitchenware and Wikileaks. Figures associated with the movement include Ada Colau and Pablo Iglesias, with the latter forming the Podemos party. The media particularly helped in mobilising more people towards the movement. In 2016, Decidim was developed as a response to this movement.
Nepalese election
Advantages E-democracy prmotes more rapid and efficient dissemination of political information, encourages public debate, and boosts participation in decision-making processes. Some observers argue that the government's online publication of public information enhances its transparency, enabling more extensive public scrutiny, and consequently promoting a more equitable distribution of power within society.
Participation and engagement E-democracy increases participation among voters by allowing public dialogue and disccusion to occur using technology such as electronic mailing lists, blogs and online forums.
Therefore, e-democracy's evolution is influenced by such broad changes as increased interdependency, technological multimediation, partnership governance, and individualism. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and Blogspot, are increasingly significant in democratic dialogues. The role of social media in e-democracy is an emerging field of study, along with technological developments such as argument maps and the semantic web.
Community involvement
Civic engagement encompasses three key aspects: understanding public affairs (political knowledge), trust in the political system (political trust), and involvement in governmental decision-making processes (political participation). The internet enhances civic engagement by creating a new medium for interaction with government institutions. Advocates of e-democracy propose that it can facilitate more active government engagement and inspire citizens to actively influence decisions that directly affect them. Digital tools have and continue to be used to determine the best practices for getting citizens involved in government. Collecting data on what gets citizens involved most efficiently allows for stronger practices going forward in citizen involvement. Numerous studies indicate an increased use of the internet for obtaining political information. From 1996 to 2002, the percentage of adults claiming that the internet played a significant role in their political choices rose from around 14 to 20 percent. A survey conducted by Philip N. Howard revealed that nearly two-thirds of the adult population in the United States has interacted with online political news, information, or other content over the past four election cycles. The vast informational capacity of the Internet empowers citizens to gain a deeper understanding of governmental and political affairs, while its interactive nature fosters new forms of communication with elected officials and public servants. By providing access to contact information, legislation, agendas, and policies, governments can enhance transparency, thereby potentially facilitating more informed participation both online and offline. As articulated by Matt Leighninger, the internet bolsters government by enhancing individual empowerment and reinforcing group agency. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies three key aspects regarding the role of ICTs in fostering civic engagement. The first aspect is timing, with most civic engagement activities occurring during the agenda-setting phase of a cycle. The second factor is adaptation, which refers to how ICTs evolve to facilitate increased civic participation. The final aspect is integration, representing how emerging ICTs blend new and traditional methods to maximize civic engagement. ICT fosters the possibility of a government that is both more democratic and better informed by facilitating open online collaborations between professionals and the public. The responsibility of collecting information and making decisions is shared between those possessing technological expertise and the traditionally recognized decision-makers. This broadened public involvement in the exchange of ideas and policies results in more democratic decision-making. Furthermore, ICT enhances the notion of pluralism within a democracy, introducing fresh issues and viewpoints.
Youth involvement
In previous years, individuals belonging to Generation X and Generation Y, typically encompassing those aged 35 and below as of the mid-2000s, were noted for their relative disengagement from political activities. The implementation of electronic democracy has been proposed as a potential solution to foster increased voter turnout, democratic participation, and political literacy among these younger demographics.
Deliberative democracy
The Internet holds a pivotal role in deliberative democracy. A notable development in the application of e-democracy in the deliberative process is the California Report Card. This tool was created by the Data and Democracy Initiative of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. The Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN Act), presented as an alternative to SOPA and PIPA, garners the support of major companies like Google and Facebook. Its website, Keep The Web Open, not only provides full access to the bill but also incorporates public input—over 150 modifications have been made through user contributions. The peer-to-patent project allows public participation in the patent review process by providing research and 'prior art' publications for patent examiners to assess the novelty of an invention. In this process, the community nominates ten pieces of prior art to be reviewed by the patent examiner. This not only enables direct communication between the public and the patent examiner but also creates a structured environment that prompts participants to provide relevant information to aid in decision-making. By allowing experts and the general public to collaborate in finding solutions, the project aims to enhance the efficacy of the decision-making process. It offers a platform for citizens to participate and express their ideas beyond merely checking boxes that limit their opinions to predefined options.
Disadvantages
Internet accessibility The progression of e-democracy is impeded by the digital divide, which separates those actively engaged in electronic communities from those who do not participate. Proponents of e-democracy often recommend governmental actions to bridge this digital gap. The divergence in e-governance and e-democracy between the developed and the developing world is largely due to the digital divide. Practical concerns include the digital divide that separates those with access from those without, and the opportunity cost associated with investments in e-democracy innovations. There also exists a degree of skepticism regarding the potential impact of online participation.
Security and privacy
Despite these advancements, recent research has indicated, through a SWOT analysis, that the risks of an e-government are related to data loss, privacy and security, and user adoption.
Opposition Information and communications technologies can be utilized for both democratic and anti-democratic purposes. For instance, digital technology can be used to promote both coercive control and active participation. Critiques associated with direct democracy are also considered applicable to e-democracy. This includes the potential for direct governance to cause the polarization of opinions, populism, and demagoguery.
Cybersecurity The current inability to protect internet traffic from interference and manipulation has significantly limited the potential of e-democracy for decision-making. As a result, most experts express opposition to the use of the internet for widespread voting.
Internet censorship
In countries with severe government censorship, the full potential of e-democracy might not be realized. Internet clampdowns often occur during extensive political protests. For instance, the series of internet blackouts in the Middle East in 2011, termed as the "Arab Net Crackdown", provides a significant example. Governments in Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Iran, and Yemen have all implemented total internet censorship in response to the numerous pro-democracy demonstrations within their respective nations. These lockdowns were primarily instituted to prevent the dissemination of cell phone videos that featured images of government violence against protesters.
Social media manipulation
Joshua A. Tucker and his colleagues critique e-democracy, pointing out that the adaptability and openness of social media may allow political entities to manipulate it for their own ends. They suggest that authorities could use social media to spread authoritarian practices in several ways. Firstly, by intimidating opponents, monitoring private conversations, and even jailing those who voice undesirable opinions. Secondly, by flooding online spaces with pro-regime messages, thereby diverting and occupying these platforms. Thirdly, by disrupting signal access to hinder the flow of information. Lastly, by banning globalized platforms and websites.
Populism concerns A study that interviewed elected officials in Austria's parliament revealed a broad and strong opposition to e-democracy. These officials held the view that citizens, generally uninformed, should limit their political engagement to voting. The task of sharing opinions and ideas, they contended, belonged solely to elected representatives.
Stop Online Piracy Act
The introduction of H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), in the United States House of Representatives, was perceived by many internet users as an attack on internet democracy. A contributor to the Huffington Post argued that defeating SOPA was crucial for the preservation of democracy and freedom of speech. Significantly, SOPA was indefinitely postponed following widespread protests, which included a site blackout by popular websites like Wikipedia on 18 January 2012. A comparable event occurred in India towards the end of 2011, when the country's Communication and IT Minister Kapil Sibal suggested pre-screening content for offensive material before its publication on the internet, with no clear mechanism for appeal. Subsequent reports, however, quote Sibal as stating that there would be no restrictions on internet use.
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