Digital tools to bridge the representation gap
0 likes206 views
Digital tools are needed to bridge the growing "representation gap" between parliaments and citizens caused by technology. The "smart parliament" approach uses emerging technologies like virtual worlds and participatory legislation to reconnect parliaments with citizens. Solutions must be standardized, machine-readable, semantically compatible, user-friendly, inclusive, and safe. Parliaments must adapt quickly to new digital realities and make up lost ground by implementing citizen-centric designs that harvest the power of legal informatics tools and services.
Digital tools to bridge the representation gap
- 1. Digital tools to bridge the representation gap Dr. Fotis Fitsilis Head of Documentation and Supervision Scientific Service Hellenic Parliament Annual conference Panel 5, 10 March 2021
- 2. Content Layout ▪ Definition ▪ Framing the topic ▪ The ‘smart’ parliament approach ▪ Some (premature) conclusions 2
- 3. Representation gap ▪ Definition: ‘technology induced disruption of seamless link of trust between parliaments and citizens’ ▪ Not in the sense of ‘democratic representation’ ▪ Rather similar to ‘generation gap’ (only bigger) 3
- 4. Is there a new digital reality? ▪ Notion of ‘citizen engagement’ ▪ Advancement of digital communication ▪ Well studied since beginning of century see e.g. Norton, P. and Leston-Bandeira, C. ▪ So, is there anything new? 4
- 5. Digital realm Social media • Omnipresent • Omnidirectional Rise of algorithms • Weak regulatory environment • CambridgeAnalytica incident Legal informatics • New standards, tools and services 5
- 6. How to put parliaments into the equation The ‘smart’ parliament approach 6
- 7. Stakeholders MPs ▪ Adjust rapidly ▪ Links to electorate ▪ Individual differences ▪ Lots of success stories The institutions ▪ Late adopters ▪ Whom to inform? ▪ Individual differences ▪ Distinct successes (UK) 7
- 8. How to change this? Harvest the power of legal informatics tools & services ▪ Building inclusive digital platforms ▪ Re-link parliaments with citizens ▪ Proof-of-concept selection ▪ Citizen-centric solution design ▪ Use of standards & open software ▪ Mobile-first approach ▪ Use of emerging technologies 8
- 9. Examples: virtual worlds, e-deliberation & participatory legislation Standartised Machine-readable Semantic web compatible User-friendly Inclusive Safe 9
- 10. 10 Some conclusions ▪ ‘The future is now’ cliché holds ▪ Institutional adaptation of parliament ▪ Make up lost ground with emerging tech ▪ Semantic web compatible solutions ▪ User-centric (i.e. citizen-centric design)
- 11. Contact and disclaimer email: fitsilisf@parliament.gr web: https://fitsilis.gr The information and views set out in this presentation are only those of the author and do not reflect the official opinion of the Hellenic Parliament 11