Open Government: A Tool for Democracy? Cover Image

Open Government: A Tool for Democracy?
Open Government: A Tool for Democracy?

Author(s): Emiliana De Blasio, Michele Sorice
Subject(s): Media studies, Communication studies, Government/Political systems
Published by: Fakultet političkih znanosti u Zagrebu
Keywords: Open government; Participation; Communication; Democracy; Democratic Innovations

Summary/Abstract: The growing disconnection between citizens and decision-makers is pushing politics towards a re-shaping of institutional design. New spaces of political participation are sustained and even reinforced by communication, especially by digital communication. Governments and public administrations can find and use different models to facilitate citizens’ participation; e-government, open government and a specific design of digital democracy. In this respect, open government can constitute a way to re-connect citizens and political institutions, but at the same time, it can also be an “appealing” tool to institutionalize bottom-up participation and so anesthetizing it. The aim of this article is to present the first findings of an international research project about open government and participatory platforms in four European countries (France, Italy, Spain, the UK). The study tries to understand if participatory platforms can improve the quality of democracy, and if open government can contribute to democratizing democracy.

  • Issue Year: 7/2016
  • Issue No: 14
  • Page Range: 14-31
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: English