e-participation

Recent developments in information technology have redefined participation in democratic processes. Around the globe new forms of e-participation, are emerging opening up new potential for democratic government.

Local councils are experimenting with the involvement of citizens in budgeting, traffic planning and urban planning. National, regional and local governments are fostering communication between government officials and citizenry, public discourse on policy issues, democratic participation via official petition websites. Civil society organisations are using web 2.0 technology, to exchange ideas, organise and lobby on a wide range of topics. In Australia senatoronline is an internet party, where elected party members would follow decisions taken by internet poll to vote in parliamentary votes. A very similar concept is followed by the Party of Internet Democracy (IDE) in Hungary. 

Organisations like Initiative e-participation and Wegweiser Bürgergesellschaft in Germany or networks like Demologue represent a new for of network activism for digital democracy.

Just as the variety and number of web application of e-participation are increasing at an exponential rate, research projects on e-participation are spreading. The European Commission is currently funding DEMO-net, a network of universities and research institutes in many European countries on quality, efficiency, innovation potential and impact of e-participation. Www.demo-net.org.

In Germany the Institut für Informationsmanagement in Bremen and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V..