Connecting Democracy

The global explosion of online activity is steadily transforming the relationshipbetween government and the public. The first wave of change, "e-government," enlisted theInternet to improve management and the delivery of services. More recently, "e-democracy"has aimed to enhance democracy itself using digital information and communication technology. Onenotable example of e-democratic practice is the government-sponsored (or government-authorized)online forum for public input on policymaking. This book investigates these "onlineconsultations" and their effect on democratic practice in the United States and Europe,examining the potential of Internet-enabled policy forums to enrich democratic citizenship. The bookfirst situates the online consultation phenomenon in a conceptual framework that takes into accountthe contemporary media environment and the flow of political communication; then offers amultifaceted look at the experience of online consultation participants in the United States, theUnited Kingdom, and France; and finally explores the legal architecture of U.S. and E. U. onlineconsultation. As the contributors make clear, online consultations are not simply dialogues betweencitizens and government but constitute networked communications involving citizens, government,technicians, civil society organizations, and the media. The topics examined are especially relevanttoday, in light of the Obama administration's innovations in online citizen involvement.

Stephen Coleman is Professor of Political Communication in the Institute of Communications Studies at the University of Leeds. Peter M. Shane is Jacob E. Davis and Jacob E. Davis II Chair in Law at the Ohio State University.