Envisioning E-Democracy?

Technical Limits on Public Input through the Internet security vs. privacy conundrum security vs. privacy conundrum identification identification citizenship citizenship location/constituency location/constituency protect against multiple submissions protect against multiple submissions overload/spam overload/spam how to sort information how to sort information what to do with it? what to do with it? kooks and cranks kooks and cranks effects of Internet annonymity effects of Internet annonymity

e-Democracy...Potential civic education civic education helping create better citizens helping create better citizens promote political equality by equalizing access to political information promote political equality by equalizing access to political information opportunities to reinforce/build communities of shared interest opportunities to reinforce/build communities of shared interest build social capital, social cohesion build social capital, social cohesion

e-Democracy...Potential more responsive government services more responsive government services horizontal departmental integration and vertical connection to clients horizontal departmental integration and vertical connection to clients flatter organizational designs and greater autonomy for front-line staff flatter organizational designs and greater autonomy for front-line staff greater accountability of politicians and public servants greater accountability of politicians and public servants information on performance more easily available to wider audience information on performance more easily available to wider audience

e-Democracy...Potential promote open government and facilitate input promote open government and facilitate input strengthened sense of citizen engagement – social cohesion strengthened sense of citizen engagement – social cohesion

e-Democracy...the Obstacles elites elites public and private elites have powerful role in the current policy process public and private elites have powerful role in the current policy process lack of political will to really open up decision-making to outside players lack of political will to really open up decision-making to outside players lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public sector leaders lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public sector leaders general public general public lack of interest, knowledge, willingness to participate in the policy process lack of interest, knowledge, willingness to participate in the policy process lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public (especially older generations) lack of familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public (especially older generations)

e-Democracy...Dangers will reinforce existing inequalities will reinforce existing inequalities – digital divide – questions... who is excluded? who is excluded? how effective are policies to facilitate inclusion? how effective are policies to facilitate inclusion? is e-government any more exclusionary than current governing processes? is e-government any more exclusionary than current governing processes?

e-Democracy...Dangers centralization of control over information centralization of control over information – surveillance easily allows government to monitor groups without their knowledge easily allows government to monitor groups without their knowledge – privacy issues – security issues

e-Democracy...Dangers will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizens will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizens legislators, political parties legislators, political parties

e-Democracy...Dangers will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizens will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizens legislators, political parties legislators, political parties media media – makes democracy faster Bill Gates: “...information technology allows for business at the speed of the thought.” Bill Gates: “...information technology allows for business at the speed of the thought.” government at the speed of ___________? government at the speed of ___________?

e-Democracy...Dangers will eliminate intermediaries between gov’t & citizens will eliminate intermediaries between gov’t & citizens – but, need government at the speed of civic engagement meaningful exchange and public deliberation meaningful exchange and public deliberation forging compromise forging compromise developing social cohesion developing social cohesion –governments’ ability to “make tough decisions stick” –...is “good” democracy too slow for the Internet?

e-Democracy...Dangers will eliminate intermediaries between gov’t & citizens will eliminate intermediaries between gov’t & citizens – digital reasoning is binary – yes vs. no choices political reasoning in a democracy must be complex, nuanced, and accommodating of differences political reasoning in a democracy must be complex, nuanced, and accommodating of differences

e-Democracy...Dangers will eliminate intermediaries between gov’t & citizens will eliminate intermediaries between gov’t & citizens – are intermediaries necessary for good democracy? meaningful exchange and public deliberation meaningful exchange and public deliberation forging compromise forging compromise developing social cohesion developing social cohesion –governments’ ability to “make tough decisions stick”

e-Democracy...Dangers promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesion promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesion – governments focused on service delivery (rather than participation) reinforcing a shallow conception of citizen as customer