If e-government seems to be mainly about doing tax returns online, then e-democracy is its more exciting cousin, promising to put citizens at centre stage of the political process.
E-democracy projects are springing up all over the UK. They range from online surgeries for councillors, to e-enabled citizens' panels and local government information via text message.
Doing its bit for e-democracy is the Scottish parliament which has been running an e-petitioning system for a year now.
The system allows ordinary citizens to raise the issues affecting them. Unlike a traditional query or complaint which often becomes buried in paperwork, the progress of the petition once it is in the hands of government must be fed back to the petitions website.
E-petitioning was the brainchild of Professor Ann McIntosh, of Napier University in Scotland, who set up the system with the help of BT."We wanted to show that technology can do a lot more than just support e-voting. It can actually allow participation in decision making," said Professor Ann McIntosh.
While other e-democracy schemes tend to be initiated on an ad-hoc and temporary basis, the newly formed Scottish parliament was prepared to give e-petitioning a solid two-year trial.A third of all petitions are now submitted to the Scottish parliament electronically and the e-system has distinct advantages.
Rather than just sign their names to a cause they agree with, people are invited to join an interactive forum to discuss their views in more detail, offering insights, web links and background information on a particular topic or even express opposition to an idea.
It is a two-way process at all times and anyone in the world can contribute to our government said Michael McMahon, Public Petitions Committee Current e-petitions cover a whole range of issues, including the threat to rural schools, affordable housing, world poverty and the Scottish haulage industry.
Michael McMahon, convener (chair) of the Public Petitions Committee, thinks its global reach and the fact that it creates a dialogue are the two main benefits of the e-petitioning system.
It is not just citizens from other countries who are getting involved. An adapted version of the system is currently being adopted by Germany, which has one of the biggest parliaments in the EU. It is also being used by Kingston-Upon-Thames and Bristol councils and is in line for a prestigious European Union e-award.
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