Engaging Citizens in Policy Making

e-Participation Practices in Europe

Edited by Tiina Randma-Liiv, Professor of Public Policy, Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia and Veiko Lember, Senior Research Fellow in Public Management and Policy, Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia and Visiting Professor, Public Governance Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com.

Exploring academic and policy thinking on e-participation, this book opens up the organizational and institutional 'black box' and provides new insights into how public administrations in 15 European states have facilitated its implementation.

‘In this book two key societal trends merge, making this book an important and inspiring one. On the one hand we see that since the emergence of the internet, new technological practices have emerged that enable political and public participation. On the other hand we see, all over Europe, that the legitimacy of democracy is under pressure, and that the role of representative politics in society is being questioned. Does the merger of these two trends create innovative e-participatory practices? By gathering and analysing practices of many countries, an interesting outlook is presented of relevant critical factors. This not only helps to fuel the academic debate concerning e-democracy, but also helps to shape the public debate.’
– Victor Bekkers, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

‘This impressive collection of 15 European e-participation initiatives spans nations and levels of government, demonstrating how widespread and creative these new forms of participation have become. This volume breaks new ground with insightful analysis on whether or how these innovations matter for genuine participation and empowerment of citizens.’
– Karen Mossberger, Arizona State University, US

‘This timely book draws on cross-national data on e-participation. It addresses the non-technical part and focuses on the supply side and the role of public administration. The book avoids the normative bias and offers coherent case studies of how e-participation initiatives play out in practice on national and local level in 15 European countries. A main finding is that e-participation is affected by organizational design, participatory processes, and management. It is a major accomplishment and a must read for digitalization practitioners, scholars, and students alike.’
卑尔根大学——每Lægreid, Norway