Democratic Renewal and Rationalization: Mobilizing Citizens Before Technology

Karen Smith
Faculty of Applied Sciences, School Of Communication, Simon

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     Last modified: May 15, 2005

Abstract
Some citizens and political parties have noted the desirability of new representation systems for elected officials in the name of equality or public interest. Others believe that the development of electronic voting (eVoting) systems will increase participation in elections and thereby lead to a stronger democracy. Both of these possibilities link to the expansion of the public sphere, to create opportunities for citizens to participate. In Canada, proportional representation is being discussed provincially in Ontario and British Columbia through citizen jury processes. In contrast, eVoting technology is being researched at different levels, as a means to facilitate citizen participation without a sufficient engagement of citizen-participants. This paper's purpose is to explore the procedural and technological democratic renewal within the Canadian context that should mobilize citizens first, and when appropriate technology to build a stronger democracy.

In asserting that democratic renewal in Canada should emphasize citizen involvement before technology, this paper will begin by defining key ideas related to the public sphere, democracy, and Andrew Feenberg's concept of “democratic rationalization” [1]. Next, the instrumentalization of these theories will be illustrated through examples of citizen juries that have occurred in Canada. Subsequently, the controversies that exist in the current research and development initiatives of eVoting pilot studies and development processes will be explored to better understand current conceptions and potential future pitfalls in designing opportunities for meaningful political participation in online environments.

[1] Feenberg, Andrew. Questioning Technology. New York: Routledge, 2001.