Abstract : The advent of digital technologies has revolutionized the realm of democratic participation and government transparency, affording novel opportunities for citizen involvement, information accessibility, and accountability. This study analyses the influence of digital technologies on democratic involvement and government transparency. It investigates the effects of tools such as social media, e-governance platforms, and open data practices on political engagement and the accessibility of government procedures. This study examines the existing body of knowledge on the possible advantages and obstacles of digital technologies in improving democratic processes. The analysis used a paired-samples t-test to evaluate democratic participation and government transparency indexes before and after the implementation of major digital technologies, using a sample size of 8 nations. The results emphasize the beneficial influence of digital technologies in enhancing public engagement and promoting transparency. However, they also reveal constraints associated with digital inequalities and dissemination of false information.
Keywords : Digital Technologies, Democratic Participation, Government Transparency, E-Governance, Social Media, Open Data
Cite :
References :
Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), 211-236.
Bannister, F., & Connolly, R. (2011). The trouble with transparency: A critical review of openness in e-government. Policy & Internet, 3(1), 1-30.
Bertot, J. C., Jaeger, P. T., & Grimes, J. M. (2010). Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies. Government Information Quarterly, 27(3), 264-271.
Boulianne, S. (2015). Social media use and participation: A meta-analysis of current research. Information, Communication & Society, 18(5), 524-538.
Chadwick, A. (2013). The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power. Oxford University Press.
Ferraz, C., & Finan, F. (2011). Electoral accountability and corruption: Evidence from the audits of local governments. American Economic Review, 101(4), 1274-1311.
Howard, P. N., & Hussain, M. M. (2013). Democracy's Fourth Wave? Digital Media and the Arab Spring. Oxford University Press.
Loader, B. D., Vromen, A., & Xenos, M. A. (2014). The networked young citizen: Social media, political participation, and civic engagement. Information, Communication & Society, 17(2), 143-150.
Margetts, H., & Dunleavy, P. (2013). The second wave of digital-era governance: A quasi-paradigm for government on the Web. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 371(1987), 20120382.
Meijer, A. (2009). Understanding modern transparency. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 75(2), 255-269.
Norris, P. (2001). Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide. Cambridge University Press.
Sunstein, C. R. (2007). Republic.com 2.0. Princeton University Press.
Tufekci, Z. (2017). Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. Yale University Press.
West, D. M. (2004). E-government and the transformation of service delivery and citizen attitudes. Public Administration Review, 64(1), 15-27
