Policy Makers’ perceptions about social media platforms for civic engagement in public services. An empirical research in Spain

Abstract

Policy informatics and Social Network Analysis are new set of theories seeking to explain how governments are embracing new technologies for improving policy making and relational links with citizens. Under this framework, local governments are now moving to the creation of networks for making public decisions and monitoring public actions. This chapter seeks to identify the perceptions of policy makers in Spanish municipalities about the influence of Web 2.0 technologies on: (a) the relational benefits among members of the networks; (b) the capacities of actors to lead these networks and their influence on the design, construction, and management of public sector services; and (c) the capacities of social networks for improving government legitimacy and accountability. Findings indicate that policy makers do not take advantage of the capabilities that have Web 2.0 technologies to enhance the participation of citizens in public sector management, and they only use social media tools as new channels for unidirectional communication and representation of the local government, which limits the capacity of these technologies for citizen engagement in public policies.