E-Democracy and E-Tools of citizen participation on local level in Poland

Abstract

The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) brought many changes in various areas of human life. Also, democracy is being influenced by the use of electronic communication technologies, such as the Internet. ICT’s impact on democracy and participation has led to the emergence of specific tools that allow citizens to use electronic tools of political participation. The use of technology in politics is a fascinating example of interaction between technology, public policy and also public opinion. How the law and society respond to advanced technology is worthy of study, particularly in countries, where e-tools of people’s participation are becoming more and more popular among certain groups of political actors. The application of information and communication technologies in political decision-making processes in Poland is relatively new phenomenon – we may say that it has been observed for not more than 15 years. This paper will analyze Polish local practices and also attitudes of the Poles towards selected etools of civic participation on local level. Findings presented in the article prove that it is worth to consider the implementation of new participation solutions, since the society is interested in new convenient forms of participation in public life – not only on the local level but certainly also on the state level as well.