Virtual democracy in city government

Abstract

The extensive use of information and communication technologies by government institutions, political parties and social movements raises the question of virtual democracy, because it holds possibilities of connection and interaction which allow alternative public deliberation and more equity in the exercise of democracy. The objective of this study is to observe the new forms of mobilization and collective actions, which could emerge with ICT. They raise the issue of the principles of representation and participation that structure the functioning of political institutions. The article proposes to examine their particular forms, as regards their applications in city government. Electronic democracy appears as an attempt to redefine relations between citizens and political institutions, and discusses the question of the modalities of their implications for democratic process. Methodologically, it is based on mapping and analysis of the political practices which define the experience of socio-technical networks utilization. The objective is to evaluate effects of technology on policy.