Teledemocracy in local government

Abstract

The article focuses on politicians in a small Norwegian municipality and their experience of how telecommunications technology can support and impact the election process. The field trial and the POT system were evaluated as successful, both by the Telenor researchers and by the Salangen municipality, yet the municipality decided to terminate the project. The official rationale was based on costs related to benefits, but the costs had been low, and the benefits were well documented. The other factors that influenced are the sudden death of the mayor, who had championed the project, and the reluctant support of his successor. The position of some of the political leaders within the party groups had been challenged by the emergence of cross-contacts resulting in bottom-up politicking. The municipal administration had experienced an added workload. Technical problems were experienced by some of the politicians and administrators. While IT can be a powerful democratic instrument, its use will be resisted by those powerful, when this technology threatens their power. The Telenor project in Salangen indicates the effects of teledemocracy are constrained by the power structure.