Session 3 measuring democracy and technology

Measuring Democracy and

Technology

Dr. Juan Luis Manfredi SánchezCorreo-e: [email protected]

[email protected]: @juanmanfredi

http://ciberdemocracia.blogspot.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

2Juan Luis Manfredi, Ph.D @juanmanfredi

1. Measuring Democracy

Who is involved in truth and law

All citizens

A group of representatives

How flexible democratic powers are

People rule

People-made laws rule

What kind of social contract

Republican

Liberalist


1. Measuring Democracy

Constitutive Powers

Electoral participationCompetitive electionsDegree of representation

Right to voteVoters’ obligationsCompetitionElectoral rulesPolitical partiesVoters’ distribution

Political Rights

Constitutional PowersCheck & ControlDirect democracy mechanisms

xxx

Civil Rights No discriminationPersonal RightsFree speech and free press

Social Rights Social integrationBasic Needs

PovertyInequalityHealthEducation


2. Measuring Technology

Information has gone from scarce to superabundant

That brings huge new benefits, but also big headaches

The capability of digital technology multiplies the information that was previously unavailable



It plays a central role both in macroeconomics and in economic development: it’s a key question in public policies

Again, we have dozens of index: there’s no good index and bad index

OECD: “The Guide is a compilation of concepts, definitions, classifications and methods for information society measurement and analysis” in three dimensions:

1. Information society2. Economic dimension3. Social dimension

Let’s see how




Convergence and Innovation – The Big Three

1. Moore's Law: the processing power of a microchip doubles every 18 months; corollary, computers become faster and the price of a given level of computing power halves every 18 months

2. Gilder's Law: the total bandwidth of communication systems triples every twelve months

3. Metcalfe's Law: the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of nodes; so, as a network grows, the value of being connected to it grows exponentially, while the cost per user remains the same or even reduces.


3. Mixing Democracy and Technology

OpportunitiesDirect participation and deliberation, more involvement and satisfaction, overcoming geographical barriers, identification of likeminded Optimization of the subsidiarity principle for separation between public and private conduct Constant contact and checks between people and their political representatives Facilitation of e-government services and fight of terrorism and crime

Diminishing information asymmetry between people and representatives, leading to more involvement and satisfaction Constant involvement of the people through comfortable vote-from-home ICT Optimization of freedom of information legislation and participative policy making Transparent identification of consensus and disagreement, value neutral intermediation of arguments, fine-tuning of collective opinion structure


3. Mixing Democracy and Technology

RisksTribalization of digital public sphere and missing integration, social instability Tyranny of the majority and constant discrimination of minority Shift from free mandate to imperative mandate and populism Manipulation of individual and public will and informational dictatorship Theatralization of politics and fragmentation of public

Unequal access to digital public sphere, threat for secret ballot, crude and emotional decision making Tendency to elitist approaches, missing link between virtual opinion and real power Architecture and design of the deliberationware is decisive, investments arenecessary to develop democratically valuable ICT


3. Mixing Democracy and TechnologyPrivacy One of the biggest worries

Social networks make easy the disclosure of personal informationTension between individuals’ and corporate’ interests

Security Information audit about vulnerabilitiesWikileaks or Die Hard 4.0?

Retention Digital RecordsThe increasing power and decreasing price of computers will make it too easy to hold on to everythingThe more we know, the more we are expected to know forever

Processing Legal implications of using statistical correlationsThe ethics of supercrunchingDiscrimination? Free agents in the market?

Ownership Data portability stimulates competitionAntitrust enforcement and economies of scale

Integrity Internet is a shared environmentCensorship or disrupting information pollute that environment.Net neutrality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EUJYh32KVw


4. Public PoliciesWhat to consider?

• Infrastructure availability• Cost of ICT goods and services• The ICT policy environment • Trust that users have in the

online environment. • The education and skills base of

the population (specialised and general)

• Labour market supply and costs. • Innovation and R&D base,

entrepreneurship culture and support (private and public)

• A momentum effect driven by penetration of ICT

• Productivity impacts of ICT investment and use.

• Changes in the structure of economies

• The growth of the ICT and services sectors

• Changes to employment and the nature of work

• Impact on globalisation• Facilitation of learning (both formal

and informal)• Positive and negative changes in

society and social behaviour• Positive and negative influences on

the natural environment


5. The Digital Divide

Definition: the gap between ICT “haves” and “have-nots”Issues of economic marginalisation and social exclusion associated with ICTIt includes ICT-induced benefits: business, governments, health, education and any other area. The idea of ‘ICT for development’ has been the driving force behind much activity internationally, including the two World Summits on the Information Society in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005)

View: ICT as an historic opportunity for the evolution of our economies and societies; and has the potential to accentuate already existing and sizeable imbalances. Different approaches:

• Connectivity and infrastructure

• E-readiness• E-strategies

• ICT literacy• Skills and training


5. The Digital Divide

Three issues to consider1. The magnitude2. The evolution3. The speed

The three issues combined show us:

4. Absolute divide in absolute number: users vs non-users5. Absolute divide in overall rates: proportion of users vs non-users6. Relative divide: the difference in penetration rates between different

groups


5. The Digital DivideICT Opportunity IndexNetwork index Skills index Uptake index Intensity index

• Fixed telephone lines per 100 inhabitants• Mobile cellular subscribers per 100 inhabitants• International Internet bandwidth (kbps per inhabitant)

• Adult literacy rate• Gross school enrolment rates

• Computers per 100 inhabitants • Internet users per 100 inhabitants and proportion of households with a TV

• Total broadband Internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants • International outgoing telephone traffic (minutes) per capita











Documents

Session 3 measuring democracy and technology