E-democracy

E-democracy (a combination of the words electronic and democracy) is "the use of information and communications technologies and strategies by 'democratic sectors' within the political processes of local communities, states/regions, nations and on the global stage." Democratic actors and sectors in this context include, in order of importance, citizens/voters, political organizations, the media, elected officials, and governments. E-democracy, like democracy in its ideal form, is a direct democracy. In practical form it has been an instantiation of more limited forms of democracy.

In this more limited sense, e-democracy often refers to technological adjuncts to a republic, i.e., the use of information technologies and communication technologies and strategies in political and governance processes. In some egregious cases, the word is used to refer to anything political that involves the Internet. Ann Macintosh, in 2004, used the term to mean a technological adjunct to a republic, stating: "E-democracy is concerned with the use of information and communication technologies to engage citizens, support the democratic decision- making processes and strengthen representative democracy." Democratic actors and sectors in this context include governments, elected officials, the media, political organizations, and citizens/voters. For those who see "e-democracy" as an adjunct to a republic, it is said to aim for broader and more active citizen participation enabled by the Internet, mobile communications, and other technologies in today's representative democracy, as well as through more participatory or direct forms of citizen involvement in addressing public challenges.