Technology for Governance, Politics, and Democracy [Special Issue Introduction]

The seven articles in this special issue aim to evaluate the social impact and social implications of new and emerging technologies on governance, politics, public administration, and policymaking; and to evaluate the future prospects of digital democracy, and its transformative potential for increasing public engagement, community empowerment, and social entrepreneurship. Innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) already play an important role in e-governance and digital democracy, both at national and community levels. There is unprecedented opportunity for community collective choice, whereby citizens who are affected by a set of governing rules can help to select policy options, rank spending priorities, and can, in partnership with their local government representatives, participate in the approval, implementation, modification, and application of those rules.