Reinventing Democracy

Abstract

There are several reasons for reinventing democracy more seriously. First, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are not only being used to enhance the efficiency of firms but also to improve services to their customers. Second, a growing number of government agencies are already employing ICTs to improve service delivery. Although governments are not employing new technology as extensively as leading firms in the private sector, electronic service delivery (ESD) has already begun to diffuse and will change the way citizens communicate with governments, as well as with one another―both central to democratic institutions and processes. Finally, public trust and confidence in democratic institutions and processes has been declining for decades. Most importantly, a failure to openly and critically debate the opportunities and problems confronting technological change in the processes of democratic communication and in the relationships between citizens and governments will hamper the development of appropriate policies and practices. More focus needs to be applied to crucial issues concerning the provision of electronic services―issues that go to the heart of the democratic process and relationships between government and its citizens. The public sector needs to make more effective use of information and communication technology to provide public services.