Unpacking the democratic affordances of CrowdLaw concept and practice: ‘It feels like being part of the game’

Politics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 026339572097385
Author(s):  
Mayra Feddersen ◽  
Luis E Santana
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Public Forum ◽  
Digital Ethnography ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Web Platform

This research draws on the CrowdLaw concept and the affordances framework to inquire how Senador Virtual, a technological innovation in the Chilean Senate, could contribute to creating more democratic processes and outcomes, and consequently, whether the platform promoted or enabled more equality in decision-making processes and better citizen engagement. Based on a mixed-methods approach of statistical analysis, interviews, and a digital ethnography, we studied the 16-year-old web platform. Our research shows that the platform gave rise to five latent democratic affordances which are not always fully leveraged. Of these, three had already been discussed within the CrowdLaw literature: (1) capture a variety of viewpoints; (2) generate insights that illuminate the lawmaking process; and (3) serve as a device for communication between citizens and senators. Notwithstanding, we also found two additional affordances not normally attributed to CrowdLaw: (4) create a civilized public forum; and (5) foster civility among the users that engage with it. We suggest that in order for these affordances to be fully leveraged, the CrowdLaw process must be designed to complement traditional lawmaking processes, including a reliable methodology for processing citizen input. Only when the above is accomplished, will this technological facilitator produce actual democratic outcomes.

scholarly journals Siblings of Disabled Peoples' Attitudes Toward Prenatal Genetic Testing and Disability: A Mixed Methods Approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carli Friedman ◽  
Aleksa L Owen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Prenatal Testing ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Prenatal Genetic Testing ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Social Meanings ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Disability Attitudes

We used the phenomenon of prenatal genetic testing to learn more about how siblings of disabled people understand prenatal genetic testing and social meanings of disability. By interweaving data on siblings' conscious and unconscious disability attitudes and prenatal testing with siblings' explanations of their views of prenatal testing we explored siblings' unique relationships with disability, a particular set of perspectives on prenatal genetic testing, and examined how siblings' decision-making processes reveal their attitudes about disability more generally. In doing so we found siblings have both personal and broad stakes regarding their experiences with disability that impact their views.

Web Platform for Public E-Participation Management

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Quental ◽  
Luis Borges Gouveia
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
National Federation ◽  
Communication Gap ◽  
Web Platform

The e-participation can be considered an area under constant focus. This paper presents a brief analysis of e-participation and e-democracy, and proposes a platform for electronic participation based on social media principles, designed to gather teachers and unions in a shared deliberative space. Interaction and collaboration are supported through questions, answers, suggestions, comments, votes, surveys and live debates. This proposal is intended to narrow the communication gap between teachers and unions and encourage teachers to become involved and participate in educational debates and important topics about the profession. The platform presented enables effective participation in formal and informal decision-making processes via the Internet, either as standalone or widgets with full integration into any Website. It is under constant development and will be improved along with this project. The actors in this study were chosen from the National Federation of Teachers due to its representativeness regarding associate teachers and provide an opportunity to assess the platform potential to support participation in a union context. The platform will be used in a trade union linked to teachers of several grade levels to understand their participation in this organization.

Web Platform for Public E-Participation Management

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Quental ◽  
Luis Borges Gouveia
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
National Federation ◽  
Communication Gap ◽  
Web Platform

The e-participation can be considered an area under constant focus. This paper presents a brief analysis of e-participation and e-democracy, and proposes a platform for electronic participation based on social media principles, designed to gather teachers and unions in a shared deliberative space. Interaction and collaboration are supported through questions, answers, suggestions, comments, votes, surveys and live debates. This proposal is intended to narrow the communication gap between teachers and unions and encourage teachers to become involved and participate in educational debates and important topics about the profession. The platform presented enables effective participation in formal and informal decision-making processes via the Internet, either as standalone or widgets with full integration into any Website. It is under constant development and will be improved along with this project. The actors in this study were chosen from the National Federation of Teachers due to its representativeness regarding associate teachers and provide an opportunity to assess the platform potential to support participation in a union context. The platform will be used in a trade union linked to teachers of several grade levels to understand their participation in this organization.

Ecological modernisation and citizen engagement

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 302-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveena Rajkobal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Environmental Movement ◽  
The State ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Desalination Plant ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Ecological Modernisation

Purpose – Modern environmental governance, especially in developed nations, increasingly embraces ecological modernisation (EM) as a framework for managing environmental resources. EM proposes a political modernisation programme that brings the four institutions the state, private sector, experts and the environmental movement together in addressing challenging environmental issues. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of the political modernisation programme on citizen engagement. The paper argues that while citizen engagement through the integration of the environmental movement in decision-making processes is promoted, the prominence given to the state, and science and technology results in a number of issues concerning citizen engagement and more deliberative forms of decision making. Design/methodology/approach – The paper inquires into these issues by building up on the prominent literature in the areas of EM, administrative state, technologically oriented decision making and the case study of the Wonthaggi desalination plant. Findings – While citizen engagement through the integration of the environmental movement in decision-making processes is promoted by some EM theorists, other aspects of EM theory give prominence to the state, and science and technology. The paper asserts that citizens’ voices tend to be overwhelmed in governance projects where the main focus is on capitalist values and scientific knowledge and a main role is played by the state and experts. Originality/value – The paper is an original work done based on the reviews of literature conducted in the relevant areas and research on the Wonthaggi desalination plant to address the question of the realisability of citizen engagement in EM-based environmental governance spaces.

The Drug Court Team and Discretionary Decision-Making: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Sanctioning Responses to Continued Participant Alcohol and Other Drug Use

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-48
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Gibbs ◽  
Tusty ten Bensel ◽  
Madison K. Doyle ◽  
William Wakefield
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Program Performance ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Participant Characteristics

Drug courts attempt to gain participant compliance and alcohol and other drug (AOD) use abstinence through a strategy of moderate and progressive sanctioning, but its discretionary application possesses the capacity for disparity across participants and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the drug court team’s (DCT) discretionary use of sanctions in response to continued participant AOD use. A mixed-methods approach was used for analyzing agency data ( n = 1,032) and interviews of five members of the DCT. Data were collected from an adult felony drug court over a 6-year period (2008–2013) and use to answer the following research question: “What participant characteristics and program performance measures affected sanctioning outcomes?” We found that offender attributes did play a role in the sanctioning decision, but program performance measures were stronger predictors of sanction type.

What Are They Thinking? Students' Affective Reasoning and Attitudes about Course Withdrawal

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethel R. Wheland ◽  
Kevin A. Butler ◽  
Helen Qammar ◽  
Karyn Bobkoff Katz ◽  
Rose Harris
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Intellectual Development ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Academic Advisors ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Academic Consequences ◽  
Self Authorship

In this mixed-methods study we identify situations that impact students' decisions to withdraw from a course and examine their affective reasoning and attitudes toward course withdrawal. Exploring students' decision-making processes through the lens of self-authorship, we show that students frequently seek information from people with whom they have a personal rather than academic relationship, make decisions with little awareness of academic consequences, and often experience a feeling of dissonance when withdrawing from courses, even describing themselves as “quitters.” Our results lead to recommendations that can assist academic advisors in developing meaningful interventions that advance students' decision-making abilities and intellectual development.

scholarly journals The first rapid forest inventory and resource use assessment of Dashtijum Nature Reserve, Tajikistan: a mixed methods approach

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-450
Author(s):  
Fred Pilkington ◽  
Minerva Singh ◽  
Vicky Wilkins ◽  
Colin Clubbe
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
The Status

AbstractThere is critical need for more information on the status of forests in Central Asia, to inform conservation management. Here we assess the status and use of the globally important, threatened walnut–fruit forests of Dashtijum Nature Reserve, Tajikistan. We use a mixed methods approach combining a semi-structured interview based socio-economic survey with statistical analysis. Thirty-three tree species were recorded, with Rosaceae the most common family. The mean basal area of the forest was 20.8 m2 per ha and most tree species exhibited stable population structures. Resource use was prevalent throughout the community; most households harvested at least one fruit or nut species (78%), firewood (88%) and grazed livestock (85%). Most respondents noted declines in availability of fruits, nuts and firewood and reported a decrease in the overall area and quality of grazing. Statistical analysis and machine learning identified that distance to nearest settlement significantly affected forest total basal area, tree species richness and the Shannon index, a metric of diversity sensitive to rare species. Our results suggest that conservation management by the government and NGOs is partly effective but there is a need for increased enforcement of grazing restrictions, to prevent further forest degradation.

scholarly journals Your Comments Here: Contextualizing Technologies, Seeking Records and Supporting Transparency for Citizen Engagement

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Dynamic Processes ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
The World ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Today, governments the world over are opening decision-making processes to citizen engagement as an aspect of open government. Citizen engagement initiatives may range from making information available and seeking feedback, to highly dynamic processes that transfer authority to communities and individuals. As part of these initiatives, governments are actively using digital technologies to gather, analyze, and store citizen input; activities that in turn create an array of records. My paper surveys a range of digital technologies used by Canadian citizen engagement case initiatives. In linking technologies, recordkeeping and citizen engagement, I present the combined frameworks of the IAP2 Spectrum and archival diplomatics as one method of understanding how recordkeeping and citizen engagement frameworks may be joined. I conclude with a discussion on defining and locating the records of citizen engagement initiatives and how records and recordkeeping may support transparency and trust in citizen engagement.

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