Ebook: e-Democracy: A Group Decision and Negotiation Perspective

Web-based interactions to support participation and deliberative democracy, called e-participation and e-democracy, are coming and coming fast. In some instances, the Internet is already permeating politics. However, it is far from clear if the processes involved in these interactions are meaningful and valid, and most of the research in the field has focused largely on the technologies to facilitate or automate the standard democratic instruments involved, such as e-voting or e-debating. This book, though, uses the point of view of the Group Decision and Negotiation approach to thoroughly discuss how web-based decision support tools can be used for public policy decision making. e-Democracy is structured into five main parts. The first part places democracy in context and reviews participatory instruments already in use in the physical world. The second part reviews methodologies that may be used to support groups in public policy decision making with a view on discussing how they may be used in the virtual world. The third part reviews tools already available on the web to support public policy decision making, such as debating, negotiating, voting and supporting decisions; it also identifies their various strengths and weaknesses. The fourth part includes a number of recent case studies, and the final part identifies challenges ahead. Complete with a comprehensive bibliography, this first comprehensive review of e-participation and e-democracy is intended for students, researchers and practitioners in the field as well as researchers in Decision Analysis, Negotiation Analysis and Group Decision Support.

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Web-based interactions to support participation and deliberative democracy, called e-participation and e-democracy, are coming and coming fast. In some instances, the Internet is already permeating politics. However, it is far from clear if the processes involved in these interactions are meaningful and valid, and most of the research in the field has focused largely on the technologies to facilitate or automate the standard democratic instruments involved, such as e-voting or e-debating. This book, though, uses the point of view of the Group Decision and Negotiation approach to thoroughly discuss how web-based decision support tools can be used for public policy decision making. e-Democracy is structured into five main parts. The first part places democracy in context and reviews participatory instruments already in use in the physical world. The second part reviews methodologies that may be used to support groups in public policy decision making with a view on discussing how they may be used in the virtual world. The third part reviews tools already available on the web to support public policy decision making, such as debating, negotiating, voting and supporting decisions; it also identifies their various strengths and weaknesses. The fourth part includes a number of recent case studies, and the final part identifies challenges ahead. Complete with a comprehensive bibliography, this first comprehensive review of e-participation and e-democracy is intended for students, researchers and practitioners in the field as well as researchers in Decision Analysis, Negotiation Analysis and Group Decision Support.

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Web-based interactions to support participation and deliberative democracy, called e-participation and e-democracy, are coming and coming fast. In some instances, the Internet is already permeating politics. However, it is far from clear if the processes involved in these interactions are meaningful and valid, and most of the research in the field has focused largely on the technologies to facilitate or automate the standard democratic instruments involved, such as e-voting or e-debating. This book, though, uses the point of view of the Group Decision and Negotiation approach to thoroughly discuss how web-based decision support tools can be used for public policy decision making. e-Democracy is structured into five main parts. The first part places democracy in context and reviews participatory instruments already in use in the physical world. The second part reviews methodologies that may be used to support groups in public policy decision making with a view on discussing how they may be used in the virtual world. The third part reviews tools already available on the web to support public policy decision making, such as debating, negotiating, voting and supporting decisions; it also identifies their various strengths and weaknesses. The fourth part includes a number of recent case studies, and the final part identifies challenges ahead. Complete with a comprehensive bibliography, this first comprehensive review of e-participation and e-democracy is intended for students, researchers and practitioners in the field as well as researchers in Decision Analysis, Negotiation Analysis and Group Decision Support.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Front Matter....Pages 13-13
e-Democracy: A Group Decision and Negotiation-Oriented Overview....Pages 1-12
Concepts in Democratic Theory....Pages 15-30
Participatory Processes and Instruments....Pages 31-45
Front Matter....Pages 47-47
Problem-Structuring Methods for e-Democracy....Pages 49-63
Decision Support Systems....Pages 65-82
Collaborative Decision Analysis and e-Democracy....Pages 83-99
Voting Theory....Pages 101-123
Real-World Decision Aiding: A Case in Participatory Water Management....Pages 125-150
Front Matter....Pages 151-151
The Internet and the Web....Pages 153-162
e-Participation: A Discursive Approach....Pages 163-184
e-Negotiation Systems for e-Participation....Pages 185-199
Web-Based Decision Support: Creating a Culture of Applying Multi-criteria Decision Analysis and Web-Supported Participation in Environmental Decision Making....Pages 201-221
A Generic System for Remote e-Voting Management....Pages 223-239
Explanation Systems....Pages 241-259
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
Transparent Public Decision Making: Discussion and Case Study in Sweden....Pages 263-281
From Participatory to e-Participatory Budgets....Pages 283-299
Internet Voting in Estonia....Pages 301-321
Consensus Building by Blended Participation in a Local Planning Process: The Case of the Public Stadium Swimming Pool in Bremen....Pages 323-341
Front Matter....Pages 343-343
e-Democracy: The Road Ahead....Pages 345-358
Back Matter....Pages 359-364

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Web-based interactions to support participation and deliberative democracy, called e-participation and e-democracy, are coming and coming fast. In some instances, the Internet is already permeating politics. However, it is far from clear if the processes involved in these interactions are meaningful and valid, and most of the research in the field has focused largely on the technologies to facilitate or automate the standard democratic instruments involved, such as e-voting or e-debating. This book, though, uses the point of view of the Group Decision and Negotiation approach to thoroughly discuss how web-based decision support tools can be used for public policy decision making. e-Democracy is structured into five main parts. The first part places democracy in context and reviews participatory instruments already in use in the physical world. The second part reviews methodologies that may be used to support groups in public policy decision making with a view on discussing how they may be used in the virtual world. The third part reviews tools already available on the web to support public policy decision making, such as debating, negotiating, voting and supporting decisions; it also identifies their various strengths and weaknesses. The fourth part includes a number of recent case studies, and the final part identifies challenges ahead. Complete with a comprehensive bibliography, this first comprehensive review of e-participation and e-democracy is intended for students, researchers and practitioners in the field as well as researchers in Decision Analysis, Negotiation Analysis and Group Decision Support.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Front Matter....Pages 13-13
e-Democracy: A Group Decision and Negotiation-Oriented Overview....Pages 1-12
Concepts in Democratic Theory....Pages 15-30
Participatory Processes and Instruments....Pages 31-45
Front Matter....Pages 47-47
Problem-Structuring Methods for e-Democracy....Pages 49-63
Decision Support Systems....Pages 65-82
Collaborative Decision Analysis and e-Democracy....Pages 83-99
Voting Theory....Pages 101-123
Real-World Decision Aiding: A Case in Participatory Water Management....Pages 125-150
Front Matter....Pages 151-151
The Internet and the Web....Pages 153-162
e-Participation: A Discursive Approach....Pages 163-184
e-Negotiation Systems for e-Participation....Pages 185-199
Web-Based Decision Support: Creating a Culture of Applying Multi-criteria Decision Analysis and Web-Supported Participation in Environmental Decision Making....Pages 201-221
A Generic System for Remote e-Voting Management....Pages 223-239
Explanation Systems....Pages 241-259
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
Transparent Public Decision Making: Discussion and Case Study in Sweden....Pages 263-281
From Participatory to e-Participatory Budgets....Pages 283-299
Internet Voting in Estonia....Pages 301-321
Consensus Building by Blended Participation in a Local Planning Process: The Case of the Public Stadium Swimming Pool in Bremen....Pages 323-341
Front Matter....Pages 343-343
e-Democracy: The Road Ahead....Pages 345-358
Back Matter....Pages 359-364
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