Digital democracy - waste of time or roaring success? » Local Government » 24dash.com

Debate at University of Leicester - Monday 19th May, 5.00-6.30pm

Central and local government have both adopted the Internet to promote their activities and to get feedback from citizens. But how successful has this been?

Is broadband access our most potent way to promote democracy? Are political bloggs changing politics and culture? Does the general public feel more in touch with local and national government? Has it revitalised our appetite for politics? Or has it all been a terrible miscalculation?

As part of the University of Leicester’s 50th anniversary celebrations, on Monday 19th May the Department of Media and Communication and the Department of Sociology are holding a public debate on ‘digital democracy’.

Three leading scholars in the field of electronic government and political developments, Professor William Dutton, Director of the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; Richard Sennett, Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics; and Stephen Coleman, Professor of Political Communication, University of Leeds, will give their views before launching into a debate in which members of the audience will also have chance to raise issues. The debate will be presented by radio broadcaster and author John Florance.

The emergence of the Internet has opened up many new opportunities for people to find out information about virtually anything from the comfort of their own homes. These days we can keep in touch with each other, conduct a wide range of business and buy and sell, all online.

The Internet’s potential has also been harnessed by governments and political parties as a platform to promote policies and developments and, perhaps more importantly, to cultivate a greater sense of awareness and involvement among ‘the people’.

Ordinary people can go online and find out information about their local council and central government services. Trials have even been run on online voting.

Can these technologies be used to counter an apparently growing political malaise that has been observed in the UK and other mature democracies, causing a slump in the number of voters in major political elections?

Has the political use of the Internet generated more enthusiasm for political involvement among citizens, or has it all been a waste of time and resources?

Do we really live in an age of ‘digital democracy’?

These are the issues that will be put by the three eminent speakers.

‘Does Digital Democracy Exist?’ will take place on Monday 19th May 2008, 5.00-6.30pm, in Lecture Theatre 1 in the Ken Edwards Building on the University main campus. The event is open to the public and free of charge.