The E-mancipation of the Citizen and the Future of E-Government: Reflections on ICT and Citizens' Partnership

Abstract

In this chapter, the author considers the notion of the e-mancipated citizen against the background of current trends in social and political participation of citizens. The role of ICTs in shaping these new forms of civic engagement is discussed and the implications of these developments for e-government and e-governance. This chapter argues that in exploring this new frontier, e-government risks seem to take the wrong direction. Up to now, government largely seems to ignore actual developments in citizens’ participation that are taking place both in the off-line and online worlds. In this chapter these trends were brought together under the headings of sub-politics and life-politics and their political character was described mainly in terms of the “empowerment” of citizens.