Information Polity

2002 Information Polity

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P.H.A. Frissen

2002 Information Polity

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Mark Bovens ; Eugène Loos

2002 Information Polity

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What are the consequences of the ongoing process of informatisation for the democratic constitutional state? To answer this question a topical perspective of the constitutional state is provided. In this perspective, the constitutional state is portrayed as a 'house', an edifice to which new storeys and rooms have been added and furnished over the course of centuries. Each storey of this edifice originated as a result of the major societal transitions that occurred during previous centuries. The majority of western societies are currently once again in the throes of yet another such transition, namely from an industrial to an information society. The possible consequences of this newest transition for the constitutional state, are reviewed on the basis of four important features of the information society (deterritorialisation, turbulence, horizontalisation and dematerialisation). Renovation, the simple adaptation of the house to the needs of the information society will suffice in a number of cases. Innovation is called for in some respects: deterritorialisation of democracy, horizontalisation of the constitutional state and the development of transparency as a new supporting topos.

Stephen Ward ; Wainer Lusoli ; Rachel Gibson

2002 Information Polity

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This article assesses the role of ICTs in the context of membership participation and activism within political parties. It uses an online survey of over 2000 UK Liberal Democrat party members to examine how far the Internet/email can: (1) widen participation within political parties by increasing the size of the membership and attracting new groups to parties; (2) deepen participation by increasing levels of activism within parties. The results of the survey indicate that whilst ICTs may enable parties to reach younger voters and increase levels of activism amongst the already active, the overall impact on participation and internal party democracy is likely to be limited.

Dave Griffin ; Eddie Halpin

2002 Information Polity

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With the development of e-commerce, digital intermediaries have joined the value chain linking suppliers and consumers. These intermediaries add value by undertaking several roles: aggregation, facilitation, matching and providing an environment of trust for transacting parties. In the public sector, the UK Government is driving forward the introduction of electronic service delivery by local authorities. In some of its dealings, local government intermediates between consumers and other organsations. This paper examines how local authorities have undertaken the role of digital intermediary. The service delivery of two 'life episode' transactions are evaluated. It concludes that most local authorities are currently operating as emerging or partial intermediaries.

Julian Teicher ; Nina Dow

2002 Information Polity

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This paper has two principal objectives: to provide an account of the nature and extent of e-government in Australia at the three levels of government and to examine some of the major obstacles to the realization of the potential of e-government. Drawing on the published record and a benchmark survey of Australian public managers, it is apparent that, in Australia, the implementation of e-government is still largely focused at the information only level and that its spread is uneven, particularly in rural and remote areas. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of portals is paradoxical, with a proliferation of portals at each level of government, rather than a single point of entry. More significantly, there is little evidence of progress toward the ideal of joined up government.

Arthur Edwards

2002 Information Polity

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