Citizens to Netizens: Grass-Roots Driven Democracy and E-Democracy in South America

Abstract

This article explores whether information and communication technologies (ICTs) are being used to their full capacity by government agencies in South Australia to engage citizens in interaction with the government. It surveys government and private sector Web sites to determine “best practice” for civic engagement and describes several innovations that offer promising models for e-democracy. In South Australia, it appears that the movement towards innovative e-inclusion is driven from the bottom up—from Local Government Councils, the arts industries, and the education sectors, in the main. The State Government has a well developed e-presence, but much of it is concentrated on the provision of information rather than the fostering of e-democracy. The article examines these trends and questions whether the government is giving the appropriate priority to the citizen-state relationship in an era characterized by rapid economic growth and change.