Digital democracy and the problem of civil participation in political decisions making

Abstract

This article deals with the debate on the use of the Internet as both a medium and an environment of political practices designed to reinforce the involvement of citizens in politics. First it presents the Internet as a medium for citizen participation in the public debate, as an instrument to express the voice of civil society’s groups, as an instrument to put pressure on political decision makers, and finally as a resource for public intervention in the sphere of political decision making. It then examines the idea of digital democracy, i. e., the Internet as a means to develop democratic practices and opportunities. Finally it discusses the limits and possibilities of digital democracy in our present political system.

Key words: digital democracy, public sphere, participatory democracy.