Portal on the New Society

e-Government/ e-Democracy

Our section on e-Government and e-Democracy is divided into four sections that may overlap to some extent. Under Citizen Information you can find a collection of links concerning efficient public service and advanced citizen participation and general  information about e-Government. The section on Elections contains links to different institutions providing information on elections to improve participation in e-democracy and e-government. The paragraph Privacy and Internet offers you an insight into different organizations that are concerned with Internet governance and the protection of free expression and privacy on the Internet.

14.04.2005 · Research Group on the Global Future

Citizen Information

FirstGov:
a site by the US-Government to assist the citizen in finding needed governmental information.

Burda Akademie zum dritten Jahrtausend: 
The „Burda Akademie zum dritten Jahrtausend“ (Burda Academy of the third milleninium) is a forum for scientists and visionars of different disciplines. The Academy organizes conferences, discussions and publications on major present and future issues. The following topics might be of particular interest.

• Publications : Internet & Politik
• Conferences: Internet & Politik: Die Modernisierung der Demokratie durch die elektronischen Medien

The World Bank's e-government website focuses on e-government in developing countries. Case studies are presented on this site as a source of ideas and learning.

eGovernment Research & Development 
The mission of the eGovernment Unit in DG Information Society is to implement policy, good practice exchange and innovation through the eEurope action plan and the IST program.

The Institute for eGovernment
The Institute for eGovernment is the Government Competence Center at the University of Potsdam.

The Media and Democracy Program (MADP) of the European Institute of the Media: The European Institute for the Media is the think tank which analyses media and communications development in the Europe of the digital age and advises policy makers, governments and other social groups on the improvement of freedom of media in all parts of Europe, on the constituents of the future "civil digital society" and on the prosperity and social well-being within the evolving new media economy.

eGovernment for Development:
The "eGovernment for Development Information Exchange" project is coordinated by the University of Manchester's Institute for Development Policy and Management. This site provides some topic-specific answers to „How can e-governmnent help developing countries?“

Balanced E-Government:
Balanced E-Government is a project by the Bertelsmann Foundation. "Balanced E-Government" means that new technologies are not just being utilized to foster efficiency and quality of service. They also provide the opportunity of improving the relationship and mutual understanding between governments and their citizens.

E-Citizen – Singapore:
the Singaporean e-government site. Here the citizen can apply for a passport, join the national forces, search for jobs, attend legal help and get useful information about how to marry and start a family.

Mediachannel is an organization intending to inform citizens with insider or specialists knowledge to further the political culture and protect against monopolistic tendencies in the media. The aim is to watch other media providing unbalanced information. Compares coverage on political affairs in "old” and new media.

The Community-Connector
aims to support community-serving organizations, academics and students by providing an electronic gateway to news and activities. Provides links to community networks and reports on the digital divide, e-democracy and citizenship.

TAN+N – Teledemocracy Action News+Network:
is a site with the goal to "empower the citizens of hi-tech nations ... so that they may influence, or better yet, direct the major agendas, priorities, and policies of their polities”. The site hosts information about tele-democracy and the furthering of direct democracy via the use of new media. TAN+N2 features articles, book reviews and projects mainly concerning tele-democracy.

Initiative of the city of Stockholm in partnership with the European Commission. Various IT-projects, concerning e-government, new economy, culture and entertainment are presented on this site.

Communities in the Net – compare different cities’ net communities from all over the world. Go to the local city hall and see what net services are offered by Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Bremen, New York, San Jose, Los Angeles, Moscow, London.

The Virtual town of Münster, one of the most advanced local community sites, offering information to all kinds of governmental and civil organizations, groups and associations in Münster. A similar site is the Blacksburg Electronic Village a community in Virginia.

Elections

Korea – National Election Commission:
Commission to further clean and democratic election in the Republic of Korea. Provides information on parties, candidates, electors and education programs for voters. At the national elections 2000 the NEC posted records of all 1178 candidates including their criminal records on the Internet, which had quite an impact on the outcome of the election.

Project Vote Smart:
a US-site for voters. Provides background information on candidates like who are the candidate’s main sponsors, what were his main activities in the past and so on. Also provides ratings from various organizations. Politics1 is similar organization.

Minnesota e-democracy:
organization, which aims to improve participation in democracy through the use of information networks. Seeks to promote citizen access to election information and interaction through the use of the Internet. Features links to government, parties, opinion polls, discussion groups and forums to speak about political issues.

Privacy and Internet

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF):
non-profit organization working to protect free expression and privacy on the Internet. Articles concerning matters like intellectual property, abuse of the Internet, e-commerce and privacy issues. Contains the blue Ribbon Campaign for online free speech and a Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.

Democratic-Internet:
site of the Bertelsmann-Foundation and ICANN concerning Internet governance.

Berkman-Center for Internet and Society:
another page about Internet governance. Closely related to ICANN.

Center for Democracy and Technology
This organization is furthering free expression and privacy in new media. News about legislation, US centered.

Georgetown University Report:
report from Georgetown University about privacy on the Internet. Constantly updated.

Kulturraum Internet – Texte:
a text about Internet, governance and democracy.