PAD 6710: Lecture 4

1. PAD 6710: Lecture 4 E-Democracy and Participation

2. E-democracy • Use of electronic means to promote meaningful democracy • Strong democracy-deliberative, open decision making process • Electronic platform as the “public square” • Transparency • Transparency refers to the openness of the decision making process • Public access to information • Fairness in decision making • Accountability • Accountability refers to taking responsibility in decision making process • Public oversight of decision making • Justification by decision makers

3. IT opportunities for Democracy • IT broadens public access to information • IT can allow broader participation in interacting with legislators • Change.gov • IT allows citizen publicizing complaints more easily • Praja, a nonprofit in Mumbai, India has an online complaint system about public officials [see: http://www.praja.org ] • Fixmystreet: http://www.fixmystreet.com • IT enables tracking the decision making processes • Emails, videos, other audio-video and written documents are permanent records that can be accessed more easily, increasing transparency and accountability • Emails of public officials are public records • Recall youtube video of a senator calling a person macaca cost him running for presidency

4. IT opportunities for Democracy • IT enables more watchdogs • Many government and political blogging sites track the performance of government and elected officials • Nonprofit watchdogs • Sunlight Foundation [http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/] • Govtrack [http://www.govtrack.us/] • Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW): http://www.citizensforethics.org/ • Government information sources • USAspending: http://usaspending.gov/ [President Obama’s renewed launch for transparency, which allows public access to budget data, allowing public access to data through Advanced Programming Interface (API)]

5. Gov 2.0: Adult social networking • Social networks as “public squares” • Adult social network users quadrupled in the past four years • From 8% in 2005 to 35% in 2009. • While media focuses heavily on children’s use of social networking, adults still make up the bulk of the users of these websites. • Still younger online adults are much more likely than to use social networks • 75% in 18-24 range; 7% in 65 or more • Most, but not all adult social network users are privacy conscious • 60% of restrict access to their profiles Source: Pew Internet, 2009, Adults and Social Network Websites

6. Layers of E-Democracy E-Activism E-Campaigning E-Voting E-Legislation E-Civics E-Participation

7. Layers • E-Activism • The use of electronic means to mobilize volunteers, raise funds, disseminate information, and otherwise pursue the various functions of interest groups seeking to influence public policy • Environmental • http://actionnetwork.org/ • Anti-globalization activism: • http://www.mcspotlight.org/ • E-Campaigning • The use of electronic means to mobilize volunteers, raise funds, disseminate information and otherwise pursue the various functions of interest groups that seek to influence elections. • Barack Obama raised most of his funding through online campaigns • Moveon.org

8. Layers • E-Voting • The electronic means to implement voting or polling processes via the Internet or other networks, not necessarily limited to traditional political elections. Promoted by the America Vote Act 2002 • Main concerns with e-Voting are sabotage, lack of a paper trail, possibilities of machine malfunction, and voter fraud. • E-legislating • The use of electronic means to enhance the legislative process • E-rulemaking • http://www.regulations.gov

9. Layers • E-Civics • The use of electronic means to provide citizens access to agency information – most American already use e-civics functions. • American Civics Center • http://www.americancivicscenter.com • E-participation • The use of electronic means to encourage public participation in governmental decision making or agency rule-making • Three forms: • decision-making transparency • email and communication • e-Regulation

10. Digital Divide concepts • Digital Divide • Divide: Certain segments of the population are left behind by digital technology – haves and have-nots • Inclusion: Concept to include allow computer and internet access to broader segment of population • Tracking digital divide and technology adoption • Falling through the Net/ Nation online • Federal government reports between 1995 and 2004 tracked digital divide and technology adoption/ penetration. • Web address: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/index.html • Pew Internet Reports • Pew Internet, a nonprofit, explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. • Web address: http://www.pewinternet.org/

11. Digital Divide by Race/ Ethnicity • Digital divide is significant for African Americans. Broadband adoption was 43% in 2008, lagging far behind Whites. • Digital divide between Whites and Hispanics is not significant. Broadband penetration by race/ ethnicity, 2005-2008 Source: Pew Internet, 2008, Home Broadband Adoption 2008

12. Digital Divide by Region • Suburban residents are the most users of Internet (60% in 2008, with significant increase over the years) • Rural Americans are the lowest users, with 38% in 2008 • However, use by rural Americans has been increasing very fast Broadband penetration by Region, 2005-2008 Source: Pew Internet, 2008, Home Broadband Adoption 2008

13. Digital Divide by Age Internet Use by Generation Percentage of Americans online by Age Source: Pew Internet, 2009, Generations Online in 2009

14. Digital divide by Income • Broadband penetration is very low among low-income Americans (households with income $20,000 or below) [about 25% in 2008]. • Broadband penetration levels is nearing saturation among upper-income Americans: (households with income $100,000 or or above) [about 85% in 2008]. Source: Pew Internet, 2008, Home Broadband Adoption 2008

15. E-Democracy • Hacking Democracy • http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7926958774822130737&ei=On6tS4nGDZLmqgLclvTkBg&q=hacking+democracy+video# • http://www.hackingdemocracy.com • Blackbox voting • http://www.blackboxvoting.org/