Electronic Democracy

Europeans have a Say - Online debates and consultations in the EU

This research project investigated the quality of political discourses online, and seeked to identify how citizens' input concerning political issues on a European level are reflected in current EU policy.

Basically, there are great hopes that new media will enhance civic participation and counteract worrisome developments in political life such as declining voter turnouts. European governments and EU institutions have started to use new information and communication technologies to revive the political sphere, which is supposed to be mainly characterised by deliberative discussions on issues of a common concern. In order to re-connect citizens to the political stage, the EU has set up an initiative called "Your voice in Europe" which provides a space for online debates and consultations linked to profound questions on the future of Europe. Against the background of this EU initiative the project pursued four major goals:

  • To gauge and analyse the civic and discursive potential of the EU's interactive participation platforms for supporting an active citizenry.
  • To identify whether the EU's online talkboards are appropriate spaces for dispassionate, reasoned and logical discussions where citizens learn from each other and reflect on issues before taking a decision.
  • To illustrate where and how citizens' input in online consultations finds expression in the EU's current policy.
  • To detect future-oriented requirements which do not only support socially-inclusive, effective and output-oriented online deliberation processes but also prove to be robust across various plausible scenarios.

The Austrian Ministry for Education, Science and Culture funds the project within the NODE programme (New orientations for democracy in Europe). The project will be conducted in co-operation with the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), Vienna.

Publikationen

  • Does e-Government Enhance Democracy? Paper für Session 2B “Freedom of Information / Access to Public Information”, ESF-LiU/DEMO-net Research Conference “Electronic Democracy: Achievements and Challenges”, Vadstena, Sweden, 21-25 November. / Aichholzer, G.
    2007.
    RISENWBIB
  • Online deliberation: Towards a research framework for the assessment of online debates. / Winkler, R; Avdic, A; Hedström, K et al.
    In: Understanding eParticipation, Contemporary PhD eParticipation Studies in Europe, Örebrö: University Library, 15.08.2007, p. 183-201.
    RISENWBIB
  • e-Government und e-Democracy: Trends und Herausforderungen. / Winkler, R.
    In: N/A, No. Dezember 2007, 15.06.2007, p. 11.
    WebsiteDownloadRISENWBIB
  • Deliberation im Europäischen Kontext: Onine Debatten und Online Konsulationen auf der EU-Plattform "Your Voice in Europe". / Winkler, Roman; Kozeluh, Ulrike; Brandstetter, Günther et al.
    Europäische Öffentlichkeit und medialer Wandel: Eine transdisziplinäre Perspektive. Wiesaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2006. p. 378-402.
    RISENWBIB
  • Europäisches Exzellenznetzwerk zu elektronischer Demokratie. / Aichholzer, Georg.
    In: N/A, No. März 2006, 15.03.2006, p. 8.
    WebsiteDownloadRISENWBIB
  • Neue Medien als demokratiefördernde Plattformen: Online Deliberation auf dem Prüfstand. / Winkler, Roman; Bora, Alfons (Editor); Decker, Michael (Editor) et al.
    Technik in einer fragilen Welt - Die Rolle der Technikfolgenabschätzung. Berlin: sigma, 2005. p. 295-305 (Gesellschaft-Technik-Umwelt. Neue Folge).
    RISENWBIB
  • Zivilgesellschaft Online: Anspruch und Umsetzung deliberativer Beteiligung am Beispiel der EU Diskussionsplattform "Your Voice in Europe". / Winkler, Roman; Kozeluh, Ulrike; Knodt, Michele (Editor) et al.
    Europäische Zivilgesellschaft: Konzepte, Akteure, Strategien. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag fur Sozialwissenschaften, 2005. p. 171-196.
    RISENWBIB
  • e-Demokratie in Österreich im Jahre 2025. / Winkler, Roman.
    In: N/A, No. März 2005, 15.03.2005, p. 3-4.
    WebsiteDownloadRISENWBIB
  • Europeans have a Say: Online Debates and Consultations in the EU. / Winkler, Roman; Kozeluh, Ulrike.
    Wien, 2005. 110 p.
    DOIDownloadRISENWBIB
  • e-Democracy auf dem Prüfstand. / Winkler, R.
    In: ITA-Newsletter, No. März 2004, 15.06.2004, p. 6-7.
    RISENWBIB
  • Elektronische Demokratie: Online Debatten und Konsultationen in der Europäischen Union. / Winkler, R; Aichholzer, G.
    Dittrich, K. et al. (Hg.) Informatik 2003. Innovative Informatikanwendungen. Band 2. Bonn: Köllen. 2003. p. 256-260.
    RISENWBIB
  • Elektronische Demokratie: Online Debatten und Konsultationen in der EU. / Winkler, R.
    In: ITA-Newsletter, No. September 2003, 15.06.2003, p. 6-7.
    RISENWBIB
  • E-Democracy: Potentials and Constraints of Online Participation in the Political Public Sphere. / Winkler, R.
    Prosser, A., Krimmer, R. (Hg.) E-Democracy: Technologie, Recht und Politik, Wien: OCG. 2003. p. 5-15.
    RISENWBIB
  • Deliberation on the Internet. / Winkler, R.
    In: Medien Journal, No. 3/2002, 15.06.2002, p. 33-50.
    RISENWBIB

    This paper questions the potential of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance political participation and democratic involvement. The presented case study examines the functionality of the electronic talkboard provided by the British daily newspaper The Guardian in the context of the British Parliamentarian Elections 2001. Theoretical concepts of civic deliberation (such as developed by Juergen Habermas, John S. Dryzeck etc.) provided the background for a content analysis of the postings of the Guardian talkboard. The empirical study revealed the emergence of micro public spheres as incubators for rational-critical debates on political issues. The findings further suggest that the Internet is not a place for mass deliberation in the political area but a platform for small or highly focused communities to exchange political views, share information and learn from each other. Considering the relevance of socio-economic and cultural frameworks within which new media operate, the author stresses the importance of the prevailing political culture, which finally enables and determines deliberative communication among citizens in the offline- and online world.

  • E-Democracy: (Wieder)Belebung der politischen Öffentlichkeit durch elektronische Partizipation (?). / Winkler, R.
    In: ITA-Newsletter, No. Juni 2002, 15.06.2002, p. 14.
    RISENWBIB
  • Innovative Approaches to ICT Research. / Maier-Rabler, U; Winkler, R.
    Medienjournal 26, 3/2002, Studienverlag, 2002.
    RISENWBIB
  • "Was there an online public dialogue?". / Coleman, S; Faas, T; Winkler, R.
    Coleman, Stephen (Ed.): Cyber Space Odyssey. The Internet in the UK election, London: Hansard Society. 2001. p. 39-45.
    RISENWBIB
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Konferenzbeiträge/Vorträge

  • Wien

    E-Democracy: Internationale Partizipationsformen und Evaluierungsaspekte

    Aichholzer, G. (Speaker)

    7 May 2007

  • Mannheim

    "Your Voice in Europe": The evaluation of citizens' participation - a quantitative and qualitative research design

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    17 Oct 2005

  • N/A

    E-Government und E-Democracy: Theorie

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    2 Dec 2004

  • N/A

    Neue Medien als demokratiefördernde Plattformen: Online Deliberation auf dem Prüfstand

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    25 Nov 2004

  • N/A

    Europäisierung von Öffentlichkeit durch Online-Debatten

    Winkler, R. (Speaker) & Brandstetter, G. (Contributor)

    12 Nov 2004

  • N/A

    Elektronische Demokratie in Theorie und Entwicklung

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    22 Apr 2004

  • N/A

    The changing role of electronic deliberation

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    6 Nov 2003

  • N/A

    Online Debatten und Konsultationen in der Europäischen Union

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    2 Oct 2003

  • N/A

    Deliberation im Kontext digitaler Netzwerke;

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    27 Jun 2003

  • N/A

    Civic deliberation online: A case study on the political discourse on the "Guardian Elections 2001" talkboard

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    15 Jul 2002

  • N/A

    E-Democracy: (Wieder)Belebung der politischen Öffentlichkeit durch elektronische Partizipation (?)

    Winkler, R. (Speaker)

    27 May 2002

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Duration

07/2003 - 05/2005

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