scholarly journals Searching for City Hall, Digital Democracy, and Public-Making Rhetoric: U.S. Municipal Websites and Citizen Engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Johnson Lambiase
Keyword(s):  
Shared Governance ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Important Work ◽  
Digital Government ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
City Hall ◽  
Content Analyses

U.S. cities rely on their websites to enhance citizen engagement, and digital government portals have been promoted for decades as gateways to participatory democracy. This study, through rhetorical and qualitative content analyses, focuses on 200 municipal homepages from 2017 and the ways they invite participation through public-making rhetoric. The findings reveal very few cities have: platforms for interactive discussions; representations of citizen activities; or ways to call citizens into being for the important work of shared governance.

Citizen engagement towards making democracy work

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. R Balasubramaniam ◽  
M N Venkatachaliah
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Complex Phenomenon ◽  
Different Levels

This chapter explores experiences and reflections of having engaged with citizens towards ensuring greater and responsible participation in the electoral processes before and during elections at different levels. In 2013 and 2014, these efforts took shape of a formal campaign in and around Mysuru in India, but received recognition and appreciation in forums across the country. Making participatory democracy work is in the hands of citizens, and exercising their electoral franchise is the first step towards this. A ‘vote’ in the world's largest democracy is however a complex phenomenon given how it is sought, and how people respond to it. Collectively, people ought to put an end to unhealthy trends in the Indian electorate by voting responsibly, by being politically more conscious, by demanding accountability, by participating, or by resisting.

scholarly journals Tecnologías de la Información, ¿motor de participación o de dominación?

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 101-107
Author(s):  
Enrique Javier Díez Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Representative Democracy ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Theoretical Spectrum ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
Social Mobilisation ◽  
The Relationship

In recent years, discourses about the democratising potential of the Internet and social networks have proliferated. The theoretical spectrum in which these discourses are located range from the consideration of the Internet and social networks as a complement to the procedures and techniques used by representative democracy (as a "digital democracy"), to their potential to generate new forms of citizenship as part of a move towards a new direct and participatory democracy of a horizontal nature. The analysis described here explores the extent to which the Internet and social networks are changing the relationship between governments and citizens, and whether they do in fact constitute another means of constructing citizenship and democratic political participation, through social mobilisation, moving towards a sense of strong, direct democracy and even the possibility of participatory self-government.

How do French Municipalities Communicate on Citizen Involvement?

2013 ◽  
pp. 321-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Premat
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Digital Communication ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Power Shift ◽  
Digital Strategy ◽  
Municipal Election ◽  
The Way

The chapter updates a former study on digital communication at local level in France in 2006. The goal is to analyse the explanatory factors which influence the digital communication of municipalities on participatory democracy. Why are there municipalities which communicate more on these resources than others? It is important to compare the situation of these municipalities in 2006 and in 2012 because there was a power shift after the last municipal election in 2008. The focus will be on municipalities of more than 30.000 inhabitants as they have the possible resources to support a digital strategy. A quantitative method was used to select the variables which affect the communication on participatory tools. In other words, the article deals with the way politicians promote citizen engagement at local level through updated websites.

THE CONCEPT OF THE DIGITAL STATE: DEFINITION, NATURE, STRUCTURE, AND ONTOLOGY

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
IGOR PONKIN ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
State Building ◽  
General Concept ◽  
Digital Government ◽  
Digital Ontology ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
Digital Services ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis

The article studies the phenomenon and concept of the digital state. The author reveals the general concept and importance of digitalization in public administration. The article explains the problems of relevant interpretation and the limits of applicability of the concept to the system of public administration. The author considers methods, approaches, and prospects for improving the efficiency of public administration in the context of the digitalization of society and puts forward his concept for the term “digital government”. Using methods of analysis and synthesis, induction, deduction and abduction, classification, and formalization, the work reveals the essential descriptive characteristics of the phenomenon and concept of the digital state. After the data analysis, it is proposed to consider the concept of digital state in four interpretative definitions: as an ecosystem of multiservice and proactive state digital services; as an integrated computer and software meta-platform; as an organizational and technological approach and corresponding paradigm; and as a digital ontology of state-building and functioning, public administration and public policy. According to the author’s interpretation, the concept of the “digital state” includes: “digital government”, “digital democracy”, “digital justice”, “digital electoral technologies”, “digital public control of public administration”.

scholarly journals Data-Driven Participation: Algorithms, Cities, Citizens, and Corporate Control

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Tenney ◽  
Renee Sieber
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Corporate Control ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Ground Theory ◽  
Canadian City ◽  
The City

In this paper, we critically explore the interplay of algorithms and civic participation in visions of a city governed by equation, sensor and tweet. We begin by discussing the rhetoric surrounding techno-enabled paths to participatory democracy. This leads to us interrogating how the city is impacted by a discourse that promises to harness social/human capital through data science. We move to a praxis level and examine the motivations of local planners to adopt and increasingly automate forms of VGI as a form of citizen engagement. We ground theory and praxis with a report on the uneven impacts of algorithmic civic participation underway in the Canadian city of Toronto.

The ARRA Websites through the Lens of Digital Accountability and Citizen Engagement

2012 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ernita Joaquin ◽  
Thomas J. Greitens
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Public Services ◽  
The State ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Government Accountability ◽  
Modern Information Technology ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
Modern Information

Modern information technology offers new ways of fulfilling democracy’s goals. Various public services are now more efficiently facilitated through the Internet. Online information, particularly in regard to budgetary matters makes governments visible and open. Efforts remain inadequate, however, in harnessing electronic means to foster greater links between governments and citizens. In this chapter we argue that performance-based government accountability should accompany efforts to increase citizen engagement. We explore this area using a recent, intergovernmental arena of e-governance: the state websites for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). We find that states are better at including engagement data than at demonstrating performance-based accountability. At the end of the chapter we suggest enhancing e-governance relationships through a dialogue on performance and sustaining digital democracy, including its intergovernmental aspects.

scholarly journals Whither Pacific ‘traditional’ media? Internet technology in political education and participation

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-111
Author(s):  
Kylie Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Vital Role ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Political Education ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Broad Area ◽  
Digital Government ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Additional Education

‘Digital Democracy’ and ‘digital government’ are relatively new concepts posing challenges for governments, journalists, political analysts and political scientists. Written from a political science perspective, this article provides an overview of selected Pacific Island government efforts on the web and assesses the contribution this makes to political education, on one level, and building egalitarian democracies on another level. Providing a brief survey of internet developments in the area of government within 12 selected Pacific Island countries, the argument is made that, while any additional education in the broad area of politics is welcome, there are still challenges that exist and room for progress. Given current technological capabilities around the region, more ‘traditional’ forms of media still have a vital role to play.

scholarly journals The Politics of Participation in Cultural Policy Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elysia Lechelt ◽  
Malaika Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Meaningful Participation ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Participatory Policy

Recent attempts by local governments to engage in participatory policy-making hint at a willingness for a more democratically inclusive approach to policy. However, there is often a gap between the rhetoric of citizen engagement and the actual implementation of these policy-making initiatives. There is concern that, in certain instances, the terms ‘co-production’ and ‘participatory democracy’ have been adopted whilst the participatory nature of policy-making procedures has, in reality, remained very limited. This article aims to contribute to these broader discussions and debates around the democratic nature of ‘co-produced’ policy practices. This article considers Calgary’s recent ‘co-produced’ Cultural Plan as a potential example of participatory policy-making. Using a framework based on key concepts within the democratic theory, including works by Arnstein (1969), Rawls (1971) and Pateman (1970, 2012), we consider how the strategy adopts participatory policy-making processes, and question how the plan’s development process has succeeded and failed in creating meaningful participation.

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