How Digital Democracy Could End Political Disengagement
By Aaron Jones
"So What?’ ‘It doesn’t matter anyway…"
Answers that anyone who has ever dared to raise a mildly political topic in casual conversation will be more than familiar with. So has the British public lost faith in politics?
The signs do not look good to be honest:
- Boris Johnson is deeply unpopular.
- Voter turnout remains lower than during the 1980s.
- Trust in politicians averages a worryingly low 9%.
Something is clearly wrong.
The current situation does not inspire much hope for the future of democracy, but fortunately there might be a positive solution not that far away. Technological innovation has often been heralded as the saviour in our darkest hours and it may prove so again. Digital democracy may well be our best hope to reconnect citizens with a political system that often seeks to exploit apathy and discontent amongst its citizens.
While the prospect of a digital national election in the UK may still seem a distant and alien proposal for many, digital democracy is here and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, its accelerating as technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous. Committee meetings have been conducted remotely in response to social distancing guidelines and citizens increasingly use the Internet to interact with public authorities or services.
It is against this backdrop that digital democracy offers the best opportunity to catch those dissatisfied before they fully disengage. Will it work? Our democracy may well depend on it.
As always with political debate, the elephant in the room remains “How does this benefit me?”
The simple answer: it benefits everyone.
An effective democracy relies on both participation and transparency. Research into the plausibility of a digital democracy suggests that improved access to documentation and data would enable citizens to better connect with their representatives and the system as a whole. Removing social-economic pressures associated with political participation – after all, not everyone can afford to miss work to attend a demonstration – would also allow overlooked sectors of our society a voice again. Better representation is a benefit to us all.
“What about those without the Internet?” I can hear from the back. Admittedly, this represents an issue, but it is quickly becoming less so as technology becomes ever-present. Currently, 92% of UK adults are deemed recent Internet users. The percentage of Internet users over 75 has also almost doubled in less than a decade.
With the first remote House of Commons vote having already taken place, the age of digital governance might not be that far away after all…
Coming next: The Digital Services Act and why it could revolutionise how we approach the Internet.
