<nettime> AW: UK Government's Major E-Democracy Push - Reference to European Forum Alpbach 2001

[Rudolf.Lichtmannegger@wko.at]

if able to read/listen to German, you may be interested in presentations in
the eGovernment working group at the European Forum Alpbach, August 2001,
Alpbach/Austria. Presentations and videostreams (RealVideo) available at
http://wko.at/alpbach/bm/start-e.htm#AK5.


Sincerely,

Rudolf Lichtmannegger
Economic Policy Department
Austrian Economic Chamber
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63
1045 Vienna
Austria
ph: ++43 1 50105 4411
fax: ++43 1 50105 298
e-mail: Rudolf.Lichtmannegger@wko.at
http://wko.at/wp

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Steven Clift [mailto:slc@publicus.net]
Gesendet am: Freitag, 26. Oktober 2001 18:34
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     E-DEMOKRATI@MAILINGLIST.STATSKONTORET.SE;
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Betreff: UK Government's Major E-Democracy Push - Articles, Releases,
     Key Speech (A BIG DEAL)


I am on the look out for other government-led "e-democracy" efforts (at any
level) similiar to the recent UK announcements (see below).  If you are
interested in this issue, join my 2200 person Democracies Online Newswire
e-mail annoucement list <http://www.e-democracy.org/do> for updates on this
new e-government trend.

Thanks,
Steven Clift
Democeracies Online Newswire



*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do ***


The "e-democracy" shot heard around the world.

The UK government has just announced a major e-democracy policy.
Yes, a government-led e-democracy agenda.

In my opinion, e-government will succeed only if it stands on two
equal legs - service and democracy.  I expect that many leading
governments around the world will take up the UK's call and launch
their own e-democracy initiatives to build a more balanced and
successful approach to e-government.

This is a completely new phase in the evolution of thought about
government's democratic role in the information age - that of an
initiator and actor and not simply a reactor to political and civic
uses of the Internet that wash over their old forms of decision-
making while elected and appointed officials feel helpless without
the online tools required to be better representatives.

Think of this new movement as "Representative E-Government," where
the two-way Internet is integrated into the governance and
representation process on par with the provision of online
transaction services.  The alternative is a services first approach
that automates the government services that people no longer want in
a way the increases the power of administration over elective
representatives and citizens.  What the UK government has done is
break through the narrow notion that e-democracy is about outsiders
pushing for online voting about everything.  Instead, building
e-democracy is a fundamental responsibility of a legitimate
democratic nation in the information age.

Hooray.

Below are links to some news coverage, a press release from the UK
Prime Minister's office, the major speech given by Douglas Alexander
the Minister for E-commerce and Competitiveness, and another more
detailed press release from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Steven Clift
Democracies Online
http://www.e-democracy.org/do


Press coverage about the e-democracy policies announced by the UK
government:

E-democracy moves up the agenda
  http://www.ukauthority.com/articles/story378.asp
UK Govt calls for e-democracy
  http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/22477.html

Some semi-related coverage:

Blair 'big bang' theory to delay freedom act (Not all rosey)
 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,581045,00.html
Labour MP calls for e-mail democracy (Oct 22, related)
  http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001364829,00.html


>From the UK Prime Minister:
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/news.asp?NewsId=2840&SectionId=30

Opportunities for democracy in the information age

The Government has called on the technology and internet community to
work alongside it to open up new ways to encourage participation in
the democratic process.

E-commerce minister, Douglas Alexander said they could play a leading
role in opening up new democratic channels, including:

- New online voting, making the voting process more convenient and
accessible;

- electronic public participation, providing enhanced opportunities
to participate in the democratic process between elections.

Mr. Alexander also outlined the next phase of the UK online campaign
that aims to enable everyone to make the most of the internet and
make the UK a leader in the knowledge economy. The next phase of the
campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding of UK
online, and will involve a national TV advertising campaign and
provide an integrated contact centre.


The second phase of UK online campaign will include:

- An integrated consumer focused publicity campaign, involving TV
advertising beginning in November;
- A core UK online campaign run alongside a UK online for business
campaign;
- An integrated contact centre providing a service to answer any UK
online enquiry directing people to their nearest UK online centre or
People's Network Library;
- A new campaign website.

In a speech to the Democracy in the Information Age Conference Mr.
Alexander said:

"Getting people back into the democratic process is a huge challenge.
New technology will help to empower people, encouraging them into
and, strengthening the democratic process. I believe it is time to
put e-democracy on the information age agenda and, for governments to
set out what they mean by e-democracy and how they intend to use the
power of technology to strengthen democracy."


The Full Speech From:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/ministers/speeches/alexander251001.html

Douglas Alexander MP
Conference on Democracy in the Information Age


Thursday, October 25, 2001


Can I thank Wilton Park, the British Council and the Hansard Society
for the opportunity to address this conference on Democracy in the
Information Age.

The attacks of September 11 are a reminder that we cannot take
democracy for granted. It is fitting that over the next few days we
will discuss how we can harness the power of technology for good - to
strengthen our democratic systems.

It is an indication of the importance of this subject that, even
during these difficult days, so many people have travelled here from
all over the world to take part in this conference. I welcome you all
as fellow democrats.

New technologies are already having an effect on our democracies;
there is no doubt about that. From experiments in remote electronic
voting in the Netherlands and on-line consultations in Sweden and the
UK to Stephen Clift's Democracies Online Newswire in the US, a
defining feature of the Internet is its interactivity. As such it has
the capacity to greatly increase our capacity to participate at all
levels in democratic processes.

Turning now to the part new technologies may play in democratic life,
I would like to begin by placing the discussion in the broader
context of the role of the Internet in modern representative
democracy. I'll seek to clearly identify some specific underpinning
principles that must be satisfied before we can claim the Internet as
a truly democratic tool.

Firstly then, a little context for this morning's discussion.
Needless to say we are only at a very early stage of understanding
the full impact of the internet on our democracies, and so it is only
appropriate that I begin by paying tribute to the e-Democracy
Programme of the Hansard Society, which has begun to probe many of
the issues involved. I am delighted that Stephen Coleman is working
closely with my officials in the Office of the e-Envoy to develop
policies in this area.

I am also pleased to be able to announce at this conference the
second phase of the Government's UK Online campaign.

Started in October 2000, UK online is the national campaign to enable
everyone to make the most of the Internet.

Beginning in November, the objective for this second phase of UK
online is to create a bedrock of awareness and understanding of UK
online, what it is about and how individuals may use it to interact
more directly with government. With an integrated contact centre
providing a service to cover any UK online enquiry. The main UK
online campaign in November will run concurrently with a DTI campaign
for UK online for business.

UK Online is both a vital part of our drive to become a leading
knowledge economy and also a new democratic channel.

As someone who played a central role in the recent General Election
Campaign I am acutely aware that the UK is facing a challenge along
with other countries within the European Union and the OECD is the
decline in participation in the democratic process.

High voluntary participation in elections is crucial for a healthy
democracy. Voting is a core democratic right and, by exercising it,
people choose their representatives and hold the government to
account. The more people who vote, the stronger the legitimacy of the
decisions taken by the elected representatives. The voluntary nature
of the vote adds further legitimacy. In the UK, the turnout of voters
at local, national and European elections is low, and seems to be
falling.

The 2001 UK general election gave us the lowest turnout since
universal suffrage - only 59% of the electorate were sufficiently
engaged in the democratic process to take a stake in choosing their
government. However, delve below these headline figures and the
warning is even more stark. The detail of the demographics reveal
that in the 18-25 age group over 60% did not vote. This group
represents the democrats of the future and, if unaddressed, this
level of disengagement would pose a threat to the long-term health of
our democratic institutions.

While a healthy representative democracy is dependent on people
voluntarily participating in elections, participation goes beyond
voting.

The decline in formal participation could bring with it the risk of
reinforcing the exclusion of disadvantaged groups from the decision
making process and the potential to undermine proper democratic
decision-making procedures.

Addressing this democratic deficit represents a huge challenge. In
the UK, we have already embarked on an ambitious programme of
democratic renewal - from reinvigorating local democracy with
directly elected mayors to the new parliament in Scotland and new
assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland - we have sought to move
government closer to the people. Yet we must go further, as Tony
Blair wrote in his essay The Third Way

The democratic impulse needs to be strengthened by finding new ways
to enable citizens to share in the decision making that affects
them...in a mature society representatives will make better decisions
if they take full account of popular opinion and encourage public
debate on the big decisions affecting people's lives."

We must open up new democratic channels, through which government and
representatives can relate to citizens. We must make citizens feel
democratically empowered beyond their few seconds in the polling
booth. We have already taken some steps to make e-democracy a reality
in the UK.

It is now possible to participate in government consultations online.
Citizen Space on ukonline.gov.uk has a central register of all
government consultations and provides opportunities both to search
the listings and also to register to receive an email when
consultations take place on specific subjects.

In terms of e-voting, some limited pilots have already taken place
and ministers have recently asked for new bids from local authorities
to run more e-voting pilots at the next local election in 2002.

I believe that it is now time to set all this activity into a clear
policy framework and put e-democracy on the information age agenda.
Government should set out what it means by e-democracy and how it
intends to use the power of technology to strengthen democracy.

I would like to share with you our thinking in this area and explore
with you the role new technologies may play. Of course the act of
voting is, and will remain, ultimately a political act. So declining
turnout at elections challenges all political parties - here and
across the Western democracies. That challenge is quintessentially to
engage the support of citizens and so inspire them to participate in
the democratic process by exercising their right to vote. So whilst
of course I do not believe that new technologies can solve all the
problems of declining participation, I believe they should form one
part of a multi-faceted approach to democratic renewal.

Facilitate Broaden and Deepen

As I see it, new technologies can serve democracy in three ways.
Technology can

- facilitate participation: make it easier for citizens to exercise
their democratic rights to access public information, follow the
political process, discuss and form groups on specific issues,
scrutinise government and vote in elections.

The UK Parliament site, for example, already gives people lots of
information via the Internet, including:

- a full record of debates in the Commons and Lords;


- details of issues under investigation by select committees and
their reports; and


- all bills before parliament.

- broaden participation: open up new channels for democratic
communication, to encourage involvement by people who, in the past,
may have felt excluded from the democratic process or unable to
participate. People who would not consider using traditional
democratic forums and channels, such as town hall meetings and
political parties, should have opportunities to use new technologies
to make their voices heard.

Both the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly have run online
consultations. The Scottish Parliament also accepts online petitions -
 a feature that has also very recently been made available by the
Prime Minister on the Number 10 web-site.

- deepen participation: strengthen the connection between citizens
and all levels of representative institutions, citizens and
government and groups of citizens. People should be able to have a
dialogue with their elected representatives and government between
elections on issues that concern them.

For example, in March last year the Hansard Society's e-democracy
programme provided a facility which allowed women survivors of
domestic violence to give evidence online to the All-Party Domestic
Violence Group.

An Approach - Two Tracks

In considering how we should take these objectives forward and our
approach is to adopt two separate, but inter-dependent tracks


First, Electronic Public participation. The use of the new
technologies to give citizens enhanced opportunities to participate
in the democratic process between elections


And second, Electronic Voting. The use of the new technologies to
facilitate participation through elections.

This separation reflects fundamental differences between the issues
being tackled in the two tracks:

- Introducing electronic voting is mainly a question of offering a
package of electronic services (such as online voting, registration,
postal vote application) in line with other online service
initiatives. Of course there are policy questions to consider as
well, such as authentication and security, but in broad terms, the
act of casting and counting a vote can be considered the "service"
element of the democratic process.

- Facilitating participation between elections is much more complex.
It depends upon establishing new relationships between government -
in its broadest sense - and citizens, and using technology
imaginatively to open up new democratic channels through which people
can participate.

It is important not to see either of these tracks in isolation. It
seems likely to me that re-connecting people to their representatives
and government and thereby re-engaging them in the democratic process
overall holds the potential to, over time, have a positive effect on
election turnout.

Underpinning Principles

But it is not enough to simply announce that the Internet can be a
new democratic tool. Indeed I am reminded of the words of the Prime
Minister in another context that "The internet is either an
opportunity or a threat". To stay true to our democratic instincts
while fully realising this opportunity we have a responsibility to
ensure that it is:

- a tool that is available to all,

- effective as a means of democratic expression, and

- accepted as such by all the participants in the democratic process.

This is no easy task. I would like to suggest six key principles that
should underpin e-democracy:

Inclusion - a voice for all

Inclusive access to the Internet is a fundamental e-democracy issue.
If the Internet is to become a new democratic tool, through which
people can participate in the democratic process and influence
events, it is vital that everyone who wants it - irrespective of age,
gender, occupation, income, or geographical location - has access to
it and the skills and confidence to use it.

Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics show that
levels of home access to the Internet depend strongly on income. In
2000-2001 levels of household access were low in lower income groups,
around 5 to 7 per cent. For the middle income and above groups the
levels increase rapidly with income, to 71 per cent for households
with the highest incomes.

However, access through a PC in the home is not the only way to get
online. Already we have over 1500 UK online centres currently open
around the country, in high street shops, village halls, schools and
libraries, even mobile centres. In addition Digital TVs, which are
rapidly becoming capable of computer-like interactivity are more
common in people's homes and may eventually turn out to be the method
of choice for getting online. I am confident that we will succeed in
our goal of ensuring that everyone who wants it will have access to
the Internet.

Security and privacy - a trusted space

Secure online communications are crucial if citizens are to accept
them as a means of democratic participation. Of course this is vital
when we consider electronic voting and before any electronic voting
system can be established, we must ensure that the it meets security
standards at least as high as current manual systems.

Responsiveness - listening to the people

In order to attract people to get involved in online consultations
and discussions, it is vital that government and representatives
demonstrate their commitment to listening to and learning from the
contributions that are made and to respond to them in a timely and
transparent way. As millions of people log on and speak out the
challenge to elected representatives is clear. There are vital issues
to consider here; not least of which will be the resources that will
be required to handle increased participation.

Deliberation - making the most of people's ideas

We must provide a trusted online environment that allows everyone to
have his or her say. As well as technical security, it will require
skilled moderation based upon agreed rules to ensure that
contributors are treated fairly by each other and that important
contributions are noticed. I do not mean that people's personal
styles of expression should be curtailed or debates confined to the
traditional language of politics. Letting citizens tell their own
stories and make their own contributions in their own way is as much
a part of e-democracy as creating links between citizens and
democratic institutions.

Openness - the provision of public information

Certainly, in the UK The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives all
people a general right to access information held by public
authorities. The Internet has already destroyed geographic and other
boundaries that previously constrained newspaper readership. From my
PC it is as easy to access the New York Times or the Jerusalem Post
as it is to access the Guardian. Yet at the same time as these
developments our main Public Service Broadcaster the BBC is
sufficiently concerned about the public's response to the coverage of
the recent General Election that it has initiated a major review of
its political coverage. So we need to consider how to ensure not just
access but also accessibility - ensuring that the public is empowered
to access the information they need to form and express their views.

E-Democracy Charter - informing people of their rights and
responsibilities

Crucial for trust and willingness to participate is that clear
information is provided,in advance, of what citizens can expect when
participating in government online consultations, discussions and
electronic voting arrangements.

The Role for Representatives

Beside the practical questions raised by these underpinning
principles, there is a broader and related question of what role the
Internet will play in representative democracy. Just as the Internet
has not, as some suggested, rewritten every rule of economics,
neither will it rewrite every rule of politics, but undoubtedly
significant change will occur in the years to come.

To some, such as the erstwhile Clinton electoral strategist, Dick
Morris, the Internet heralds a new era of Jeffersonian direct
democracy.200 years on from the town meetings of the early republic,
according to Morris, the Internet has the capacity to re-connect
elected representatives to their electorates.

In so many other areas of our economy and society, the Internet is
rapidly removing intermediaries. Whether through e-commerce, the
provision of legal advice, stock trading, the Internet threatens the
role of groups who have historically drawn power from their
privileged access to knowledge and, in general, this is something to
be welcomed.

However, in terms of e-democracy in the UK context we need to
understand that it is not our purpose to use technology to circumvent
elected representatives. By improving and increasing opportunities
for participation by the widest range of people we must seek to
strengthen the role of elected representatives and help them better
represent the people who elected them. As the Select Committee on
Public Administration commented in it sixth report

"the health of representative and participative democracy are
intertwined"

We are only starting to understand how the internet can contribute to
the health and strength of representative democracy.

At a personal level, I am one of the Members of Parliament with a web-
site so I would like to close by offering a few thoughts on the role
of political web sites.

Many MPs are at a stage where the web-site is essentially a brochure
publicising their work to their constituents. In future, the
possibilities for interaction online will mean that constituents will
be able to eliminate the traditionally higher cost and longer time
frames to contact Members of Parliament and harness the capacity for
dialogue the Internet provides.

Some campaigners and organisations such as Jubilee 2000 have already
developed this capability whereby electronic postcards are sent
directly to Members of Parliament. In the years to come we can
anticipate that as major votes beckon constituents will use the
opportunity provided by the internet to contact their Member of
Parliament to express their views and in turn expect a response from
the MP explaining their conduct.

Of course this will offer a major challenge both to the organisation
of MPs office and their work more generally but few of us would doubt
the fact that the turnout at the most recent election challenges all
of us to seek a new means by which the elected representatives and
the electorate maintain contact and dialogue.

It will mean a significant challenge for politicians but I believe a
significant step forward as a new channel opens up between the
politicians, government and the people.

So I am grateful to have been granted the opportunity to address this
conference. Even amidst these difficult days it is important to take
time to glimpse the possibilities offered for participative and
representative democracy at the dawn of this new century. The
challenge is great, but so too is the opportunity. That is why your
deliberations are of such importance and why I wish you every success
for the remainder of the Conference.

Thank you very much.



Another Press Release From:
http://213.38.88.195/coi/coipress.nsf/7e4cd219f1e58adf802565250034fa39/eca70
dbb4d8645f380256af00037cba1?OpenDocument


P/2001/583

25 October 2001

ALEXANDER: OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE INFORMATION AGE

Alexander also announces next phase of UK online campaign

E-commerce minister, Douglas Alexander, called on the technology and
internet community to work with Government to open up new ways to
encourage participation in the democratic process.

He said they could play a leading role in opening up new democratic
channels, including:

- New online voting, making the voting process more convenient and
accessible; and

- electronic public participation, providing enhanced opportunities
to participate in the democratic process between elections.

Alexander also outlined the next phase of the UK online campaign that
aims to enable everyone to make the most of the internet and make the
UK a leader in the knowledge economy. The next phase of the campaign
is designed to raise awareness and understanding of UK online, and
will involve a national TV advertising campaign and provide an
integrated contact centre.

In a speech to the Democracy in the Information Age Conference
Douglas Alexander said:

"Getting people back into the democratic process is a huge challenge.
In the UK we have already embarked upon an ambitious programme to
tackle this. New technology will help to empower people, encouraging
them into and, strengthening the democratic process. I believe it is
time to put e-democracy on the information age agenda and, for
governments to set out what they mean by e-democracy and how they
intend to use the power of technology to strengthen democracy.

"We must open up new democratic channels, through which government
and representatives can relate to citizens. We must make citizens
feel democratically empowered beyond their few seconds in the polling
booth.

"UK online is a vital part of our drive to become a leading knowledge
economy, and is a key part of the process of opening up new
democratic channels."

In order to make internet technology an effective tool for
e-democracy, available to all, Alexander laid out six basic
principles for success:

- Information, to inform people of their rights and
responsibilities;

- Inclusive access to the internet. Everyone who wants it has access
and the skills and confidence to use it;

- Security and Privacy. Secure online communication is essential if
people are to accept it a means of democratic participation;

- Listening to the people. Government and its representatives must
respond in a timely and transparent way to contributions;

- Making the most of people's ideas. The need to establish rules
which ensure that contributors are treated fairly by each other; and

- Openness. Access to public information is a cornerstone of
democracy, but this must include accessibility, ensuring that the
public is empowered to access the information they need to form and
express their views.

The second phase of UK online campaign will include:

- An integrated consumer focused publicity campaign, involving TV
advertising beginning in November;

- A core UK online campaign run alongside a UK online for business
campaign;

- An integrated contact centre providing a service to answer any UK
online enquiry directing people to their nearest UK online centre or
People's Network Library; and

- A new campaign website.

Notes for Editors

1. Democracy in the Information Age - Wilton Park Conference is
taking place between 24-27 October. Wilton Park is an Executive
Agency of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the conference has
been organised in association with the British Council and Hansard
Society.

2. The Office of the e-Envoy (OeE) and Department of Transport, Local
Government and the Regions (DTLR) take the lead in developing and
implementing e-democracy within central government. The OeE will also
provide guidelines, promote best practice, monitor progress and lead
on the development of internationally agreed technical standards
required to support e-voting. A number of central government
departments are involved in developing e-democracy, including the
Department of Trade and Industry, Cabinet Office, the Scotland,
Northern Ireland and Wales Offices, Department for Education and
Skills and the Improvement and Development Agency.

Public Enquiries: 020 7215 5000
Textphone for those with hearing impairments: 020 7215 6740
Internet: www.dti.gov.uk












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Steven L. Clift    -    W: http://www.publicus.net
Minneapolis    -   -   -     E: clift@publicus.net
Minnesota  -   -   -   -   -    T: +1.612.822.8667
USA    -   -   -   -   -   -   -     ICQ: 13789183


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