EParticipation in friedrichshafen: Identification of target groups and analysis of their behaviour

Abstract

‘eParticipation’ means the involvement of citizens in the political process via information and communication technologies. This paper analyses the identification of target groups in eParticipation and the elaboration of their behaviour. Research and analysis was conducted on a target population in Germany. Second and third generational citizens were the focus of the analysis. The city of Friedrichshafen was chosen due to its inherent electronic and network infrastructural advantage. It is assumed that this city’s mode of connectivity will be established in the whole country in the years to come. The research methodology was quantitative; a survey was conducted to collect statistical data. Questions for the survey were derived from literature-based research in adjacent areas. Topics in the survey include ‘eGovernment’, ‘technology-acceptance’ and ‘target group behaviour’. Survey locations were chosen close to administrative institutions, aiming to elicit responses from long-term citizens of Friedrichshafen. In total 249 people were surveyed. This represents a confidence level of 94%. Four distinctive target groups of adults were identified and categorized according to experience: “First-time Voters”, “Amateur Voters”, “Professional Voters” and “Expert Voters”. Research results showed a strong tendency of the respondents towards eParticipation provided its direct political impact was being limited. Moreover, the strongest concerns about an online election were voter-manipulation and vote-buying. Local administrations and politicians can use findings from this research to implement technologies and to encourage their target audience to participate electronically in the political discourse.