e-Government ENVISIONING e-DEMOCRACY

e-Government – Potential Uses e-information e-services (basic) e-services (advanced) e-input (from citizens) e-democracy

e-Democracy...Potential promote political equality by equalizing access to political information promote political equality by equalizing access to political information promote open government and facilitate input promote open government and facilitate input »strengthened sense of citizen engagement – social cohesion opportunities to reinforce/build communities of shared interest opportunities to reinforce/build communities of shared interest educational potential – helping make better citizens educational potential – helping make better citizens

e-Democracy...Potential more responsive government services more responsive government services »horizontal departmental integration and vertical connection to clients »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

e-Democracy...the Obstacles elites elites »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 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 familiarity and comfort with ICTs among public (especially older generations)

e-Democracy...Dangers will reinforce existing inequalities will reinforce existing inequalities »digital divide centralization of control over information centralization of control over information »surveillance »privacy issues »security issues will eliminate intermediaries between governments and citizens will eliminate intermediaries between governments and citizens promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesion promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesion

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

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

e-Democracy...Dangers faster democracy? faster democracy? –Bill Gates: “...information technology allows for business at the speed of the thought.” –government at the speed of ___________?

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

e-Democracy...Dangers government at the speed of civic engagement government at the speed of civic engagement –meaningful exchange and public deliberation –forging compromise –developing social cohesion »governments’ ability to “make tough decisions stick” Is “good” democracy too slow for the Internet? Is “good” democracy too slow for the Internet?

e-Democracy...Dangers will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizens will eliminate intermediaries between government and citizens »legislators »political parties –make democracy faster –digital reasoning is binary – yes vs. no choices »political reasoning in a pluralist democracy must be complex, nuanced, and accommodating of differences

e-Democracy...Dangers promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesion promote fragmentation and the loss of social cohesion »citizenship becomes more privatized than community- oriented »governments focused on service delivery (rather than participation) reinforcing a shallow conception of citizen as customer »harder to “make tough decisions stick” (social capital) »isolated individuals more exposed to manipulation by political and economic elites

e-Government Final Thoughts...

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

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

“The coasts of history are strewn with the wrecks of predictions.” James Bryce, 1893