Joachim Åström

Understanding the rise of e-participation in non-democracies : domestic and international factors

While it has often been suggested that information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide an important means of increasing citizen participation (which is at the core of democratic governmen ...

Should democracy online be quick, strong, or thin?

three models representing three different democratic ideals are presented here, each providing different views of the techniques and institutional settings assumed to make the principles work in practice [6, 8]. The literature contains innumerable classifications, categorizations, typologies, and models describing variations of democracy: radical democracy, liberal democracy, participatory democracy, elitist democracy, protective democracy, pluralistic democracy, to mention a few (for examples, see [5, 6, 8]). The conceptual richness of the literature gives reason to try to find a few broad categories that simplify the picture. The three models used here—quick, strong, and thin democracy—are based on Premfors’ [10] complementary to Barber’s [2]

Urban planners, wired for change? : Understanding elite support for e-participation

Abstract What do elites really mean when they display positive attitudes toward increased citizen participation via ICTs? Are they aiming for institutional change or the reinforcement of existing institutions? What are the assumptions that underlie and condition support for e-participa-tion? In addressing these questions, this article draws upon a survey questionnaire mapping the support for e-participation in the field of urban planning, targeting the heads of the planning departments in all Swedish local governments in 2006. The results show confusing or conflicting elite attitudes towards participation, supporting as well as challenging the classic normative theories of participatory democracy and communicative planning.

Information security culture – state-of-the-art review between 2000 and 2013

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to survey existing information security culture research to scrutinise the kind of knowledge that has been developed and the way in which this knowledge has been ...

“You can't make this a science!” : Analyzing decision support systems in political contexts

This paper reports on problems and conflicts encountered when using decision support systems (DSS) in political contexts. Based on a literature study and two case studies we describe problems encou ...

Why Regionalism in Sweden

Why has the regional issue become important in Sweden, a unitary state with strong central and local levels? This question is analysed with help of three explanatory theses: Europeanization, intra-national driving forces and regional mobilization from below. The argument is that underlying intranational forces of decentralization and regional complexity motivates a stronger regional level, but that Europeanization often triggers off processes— of regionalization. The regional mobilization from below stems from urban economic modernization: Relatively economically independent regions close to the central Europe and with a relatively Europeanized mentality regionalize to a larger extent (Skåne and West Götaland) than regions neither relatively economically independent nor having a Europeanized mentality.

Planners support of e-participation in the field of urban planning

Developments in technology have led to the progression of traditional urban planning. The technological advancements have created a new form of urban planning referred to as e-planning, which incorporates the traditional elements of urban planning with information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially the internet, geographic information systems (GIS) and virtual reality technologies. The purpose of this handbook is to explore the nature and to examine the impacts of the transformations in the urban planning field that result from the use of ICTs in all phases of the urban planning process and to raise new questions for further research. The handbook is divided into three interrelated sections. The first section deals with theories and methods in e-Planning. The second is devoted to citizen participation in e-Planning. The final section provides an overview of innovations in specific sectors within the urban planning field.

Blogging in the shadow of parties : exploring ideological differences in online campaigning

Blogging is an increasingly important practice in election campaigns, showing interesting variations across contexts. Recent research has shown that the adoption and use of blogs is strongly shaped by national institutional settings, that is, the different roles given to parties within political systems. However, intra-national differences in the practice of political blogging are yet to be explained. This article investigates the variation in usage of blogs in electoral campaigns in Sweden, a country characterized by strong political parties and a party-centered form of representative democracy. The central argument is that different parties utilize blogging in different ways. Just as blogging is shaped by how institutions support persons or parties, we propose that political blogging is shaped by party affiliation and ideological positions on individualism and collectivism. The empirical analysis, based on a survey among over 600 blogging politicians, confirms that ideological positions towards individualism and collectivism have a great impact on the uptake and usage of political blogs, portraying political blogging as a strongly ideologically situated practice of political communication.

DoIT Right: Measuring Effectiveness of Different eConsultation Designs

eConsultations have been used in many countries over many years, yet most research in the field is case descriptions and there is so far little systematic evidence as to the effectiveness of consultations as a tool for enhancing democracy. Using a case survey method we investigate what factors make a consultation succeed or fail based on data from 57 cases reported in the literature. Success is measured as high participation, deliberative mode of discussion, and impact on policy. We test three hypotheses from the literature claiming, respectively, that institutional design, democratic intent, and quality of research are the most important factors behind the reported success. We find support for all hypotheses. Using consultation at the analysis/decision making stage, mixing online and offline methods and active strategic recruiting are institutional factors positively contributing. Democratic intent and content analysis research both have positive influence.

The political blog space: A new arena for political representation?

While the academic interest in the political blogosphere has grown exponentially in recent years, existing research is predominantly dedicated to political campaigning. In view of the “diminishing prestige of the electoral process” and the “rise of new forms of legitimacy” a broader political analysis of blogs is called for. This article investigates whether the political blogosphere is an arena for political representation by asking (1) how representatives communicate with citizens through blogging in order to aid central functions of political representation, such as accountability, connectivity, and inquiry, and (2) what strategic, technological, and normative factors explain differences in representatives’ communication with citizens. The empirical analysis, based on a survey questionnaire targeting all Swedish blogging representatives, illuminates four different approaches to blogging, with different drivers and implications for the representative democracy.