Under some delusion: Considerations on the limits of e-democracy

Abstract

The potential for electronic access to information and channels of participation is fraught with danger for democracy. For political and public sector interests to follow slavishly the commercial pioneers is highly questionable, and probably perilous. The inherently conflictual nature of both government and democracy demands attention to the institutions and patterns of representative democracy. Consideration in the first instance of the peculiar aspects of public sector products, organisations and marketplaces would bring a contextual sensitivity to the project, thereby improving design and application of e-based solutions. More attention should be paid to the mechanisms of representative democracy so that they can be incorporated into e-systems rather than clash with them. © 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers.