Exploring the links between democracy and digital transformation in developing Latin America countries: Building a democracy consolidation theory

Abstract

The current investigation endeavors to examine Latin America, a region that exhibits poverty, uneven development, and inequality, all of which present significant challenges to the attainment of sustainable progress. The primary objective of the research is to recognize, scrutinize, and explain the factors that are necessary or sufficient for the establishment of a comprehensive democratic system in the region. To achieve this goal, the study will integrate the perspectives of e-state components and multiple stakeholders into a multi-dimensional, multi-level framework. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is acknowledged as a tool that can promote governance and citizen involvement in the public decision-making process by advancing information sharing among citizens, businesses, and governments and upgrading the delivery of public services. Although ICT cannot substitute political institutions, it can act as a catalyst for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of political systems. Prior research suggests that ICT has not transformed political systems fundamentally; nevertheless, it has improved processes and transactions in public administration, especially in democratic states. This article utilizes Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to evaluate the combined effect of the necessary conditions for Democratic consolidation in LATAM, by investigating the components of technology and its use by individuals, businesses, and governments. By examining a sample of 18 case studies, the aim of the analysis is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the essential conditions and factors that underpin effective state management, which is considered the cornerstone of a democratic system.The conclusion presented is that in order to consolidate a democratic system, it is necessary to overhaul the fundamental structure of the system itself, starting from the inside and working towards external changes. One proposed approach involves utilizing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a catalyst for initiating this internal transformation. By leveraging the power of ICT, it becomes possible to effect change from within the system, which can in turn help to consolidate and enhance democratic principles, while simultaneously eradicating any existing weaknesses or failures. The results create a comprehensive, integrated approach about how to change a system from within; this involves considering not only external factors that the Theory of Democratic Consolidation requires for a strong civic society or fair elections, but also and most importantly the internal factors: How the elements of the system communicate.