E–Democracy

What It Is

E–Democracy is u sing the Internet to give citizens a say in how they are governed. It's government of and by the people, not just for the people. Where "e–government" focuses on putting government services online, e–democracy's goal is to create ways to involve the public in government decision–making.

Some advocates add to the definition of e–democracy: giving open access to government data so the public can use it as they wish.

Examples

Examples of e–democracy include regulations.gov, where the public can comment on proposed rules; online "town meetings" where the public can pose questions and offer suggestions; and online discussions around public policy issues.

Resources

• E–Democracy.org
• Wikipedia
• Facebook has an E –Democracy group
• Are We Ready for E–Democracy? Candi Harrison blogs on e–democracy

Content Lead: Sheila Campbell and Rachel Flagg