What is E-Democracy

Political dialogue in which citizens, and the community in general, engage in the political process.

This is the most difficult to generate and sustain feature of e-government. It refers to activities that increase citizen involvement including virtual town meeting, open meeting, cyber campaigns, feedback polls, public surveys and community forums such as e-voting.

Also called digital democracy. It is defined as the practice of democracy by using information and communication technologies.

It involves “electronic engagement” (“e-engagement”), engaging the public in the policy process via electronic networks; and “electronic consultation” (“e-consultation”). Processes and structures that encompass all forms of electronic communication between government and the citizen, such as information, voting, polling, or discussion, thereby enabling citizens to participate in the government’s policy making.

Public outreach processes through government electronic systems

The use of the ICTs for increasing the transparency of the political process, for enhancing the direct involvement and participation of citizens and for improving the quality of opinion formation by opening new spaces of information and deliberation.

It suggests greater and more active citizen participation enabled by the Internet, mobile communications, and other technologies in today’s representative democracy, as well as through more participatory or direct forms of citizen involvement in addressing public challenges (Clift, 2003 AU78: The in-text citation "Clift, 2003" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ). It consists of all sort of electronic means and tools of communication that empower citizens and make politicians accountable for their actions in the public realm. Among other benefits, E-Democracy can increase the transparency of the political process; enhance direct involvement and participation of citizens; and improve the quality of opinion formation by opening new spaces of information and deliberation (Trechsel & Méndez, 2005 AU79: The in-text citation "Trechsel & Méndez, 2005" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).

Depending on what type of democracy it should support, ICT can be used for electronic voting, online referendums, or to support the political parties in their dialog with the voters. It can also be used to support political debate in a local community or in other political processes.

is “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation using information technology tools to facilitate, improve and ultimately extend the exercise of democracy” (Caldow, 2004, p. 1). It is the convergence of ICT and democratic processes. E-democracy is founded on citizen participation through ICT to support legitimate representation of citizens in a democratic society. It is based on providing an online opportunity for citizens to obtain information about issues and express their position. Through online communications, society can be better reflected in the practices of public institutions that depend on communication with citizens for legitimacy

The use of electronic communications technologies, such as the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy. Typically, the kinds of enhancements sought by e-democracy proponents are framed in terms of making processes more accessible; making citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct so as to enable broader influence in policy outcomes; increasing transparency and accountability; and keeping government closer to the consent of the governed.

Refers to the use of electronic channel (e-government) for democratic process such as public policy making and voting.

The use of electronic communications to support and increase democratic engagement and deepen and widen citizen participation.

It defines the opportunities for citizens to use information technologies as opportunities to participate in decision-making and management processes.

An interactive facility provided on the local authority Web sites for citizens to register and vote online. It also encompasses the use of ICT and computer-mediated communication, such as the Internet, interactive broadcasting and digital telephony, to enhance political democracy or the participation of citizens (Hacker and van Dijk, 2000, p1).

May be defined by the express intent to increase the participation of citizens in decision-making through the use of digital media and the application of Information and Communication Technologies to political processes. e-Democracy may be subdivided into e-Engagement (or e-Participation ), e-Voting, e-Consultation.

Term which derives from the contraction of the two terms Electronic and Democracy; this term generally indicates the use of ICT (information and communication technologies) in the development of democratic processes. Due to the relatively brief history of the term (it was coined in the mid-1990s) and due to the environment to which it refers, a great deal of controversy still exists regarding its interpretation. In fact, it can mean the simple use of communication tools in democratic processes, the influence of the media in political life, or the tools that permit dialogue and participation in political life. In the http://e-democracy.org/ site, which was set up in 1994, we find the slogan “E-Democracy.Org—Building online public space in the heart of real democracy and community since 1994,” which clearly demonstrates the meaning of this term.

The use of ICTs to support the process of broad participation of citizens, and of those of them who represent others, in the debate, political discourse, surfacing and elaboration of societal issues, emergence of representation, polling, and voting.

Electronic democracy (e-democracy) as a tool-oriented conception of democracy refers to new democratic practices in which ICTs and innovative institutional arrangements are utilized (cf. teledemocracy).

Is defined by the use of electronic information and communications technologies (ICTs) to extend or enhance access to information and facilitate participation in democratic communities, processes and institutions.

Refers to the use of ICTs and strategies in political and governance processes. Democratic actors and sectors in this context include governments, elected officials, the media, political organizations, and citizens/voters. E-Democracy aims for broader and more active citizen participation enabled by the Internet, mobile communications, and other technologies in today’s representative democracy, as well as through more participatory or direct forms of citizen involvement in addressing public challenges.

E-democracy refers to the processes and structures that encompass all forms of electronic communication between government and the citizen.

Using telecommunications technology by democratic actors, including governments, elected representatives, civic organizations, communities, political groups, and activists to improve the political process and political institutions. Examples of e-democracy include online discussion groups, blogs, government Web sites, and other forms of networked participation and civic engagement.

use of information and communication to facilitate democratic governance

The use of ICTs to support the process of participation of citizens, and their representatives in the debate, political discourse, surfacing and elaboration of societal issues, emergence of representation, polling, and voting.

The relationship between governments and the civil society, which essentially involves the use of the ICT for them to communicate to improve the democratic processes.

The use of ICTs to support the process of broad participation of citizens, and of those of them who represent others, in the debate, political discourse, surfacing and elaboration of societal issues, emergence of representation, polling, and voting.

E-Democracy is defined as the phenomenon of usage of internet to enhance the democratic process by encouraging online civic engagement, online citizen participation, online discussion, blogs etc.

Using telecommunications technology by democratic actors, including governments, elected representatives, civic organizations, communities, political groups, and activists to improve the political process and political institutions. Examples of e-democracy include online discussion groups, blogs, government Web sites, and other forms of networked participation and civic engagement.

E-democracy represents a sub-category of e-government and embraces processes being concerned with the forming of the political will.

Democratic governance, processes, and institutions that use the Internet technology in their operations.

Technological progress in communication media that provides employees with more information and more direct access to other employees than that which previously existed.

An interactive facility provided on the local authority Web sites for citizens to register and vote online. It also encompasses the use of ICT and computer-mediated communication, such as the Internet, interactive broadcasting and digital telephony, to enhance political democracy or the participation of citizens (Hacker & van Dijk, 2000, p1).