Which “horse” would you bank on, if you had a choice? Classical democracy, as it used to be in the time before the internet, or digital democracy? Two “state operating systems” in comparison.
Representative democracy |
Name | Digital democracy |
---|---|---|
People interested in politics Politicians who run for election A functioning state under the rule of law |
Requirements | In addition: A properly functioning internet Accessibility for all |
Traveling to the ballot box Postal voting |
Possible election methods | In addition: E-voting – easy and time-saving, can vote from anywhere |
Polling card Posters TV Magazines Election advertising |
Invitation to participate in election | In addition: Online invitation to participate Reminder Addressing target voters appropriately Can reach target voters who get their information primarily online |
Regular circles of acquaintances Family, friends and neighbors TV Newspapers Election posters On-street party presence Campaign events Personal contact with politicians |
Opinion formation | In addition: The internet as a source of political information: e.g. search engines, websites of public institutions, NGOs Unfiltered first-hand information Virtual, cross-border exchange of information Voter advice platforms Fact checking Risks: Filter bubbles Social bots Fake news Reliability of information sources Propaganda Manipulation Information overload |
Exercise your franchise Become a party member Demonstrations Referendums (in certain cases only) Petitions Letters to the editor Signature collection campaigns |
Participation in political decision-making processes | In addition: Online discussions, initiatives and polls Anyone can provide information without having to join an organization E-petitions Political campaigns, inexpensive and quick to organize, e.g. www.avaaz.org Signature collection campaigns, reaching large numbers of people quickly Direct exchanges with politicians Issue-based, time-limited commitment Internet anonymity may encourage people to take part Risk: The digital divide: anyone who’s not on the net or is unfamiliar with how it works is excluded |
Abstention from voting Complaints to official bodies Letters to the editor Demonstrations |
Avenues for making complaints | In addition: abgeordnetenwatch.de Social media Forums Platforms Direct consultation with politicians |
Military coups Non-participation in elections Abuse of ballot boxes Countless others |
Possible malfunctions | In addition: Network failure Server failure Bugs in software Hacker attacks Monitoring There are mechanisms available to make processes more secure: Cryptography |