Politics 2.0 : is 'open government' the way forward in modem democracies?

Abstract

[…] The main research question that this research project will seek to answer is: Do the changes that technological improvements are bringing about to governance, correspond to or contradict the democratic ideals and workings of modem democracies? The policy behind the 'open government' approach is based on three main pillars: transparency, participation and collaboration. This approach may arguably be considered to be a development of Montesquieu's system of checks and balances. The implementation of an 'open government' approach may therefore be considered to be a public watchdog of governments' accountability and credibility. With this policy being implemented, governments' operations will have to change and adaptations will have to be made to their traditional modus operandi. They will become accountable for their acts on a daily basis and not only during election time. One of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment leading philosophers, the Baron de Montesquieu studied individuals and their contribution to society. He wrote about the expectations that society had and that society's idea about how it could be bettered and improved. He advocated that through drastic changes in the government system, "citizens [would] be able to live free and fulfilled lives." Montesquieu remains famous for his doctrine on liberal democracy that advocates separation of powers which would require a system of checks and balances. "'Democracy' is derived from demokratia, the root meanings of which are demos (people) and kratos (rule). Democracy means a form of government in which, in contradistinction to monarchies and aristocracies, the people rule. Democracy entails a political community in which there is some form of political equality among the people. 'Rule by the people ' may appear an unambiguous concept, but appearances are deceptive.” As David Held puts is, 'rule by the people' may appear an unambiguous concept, but in reality it is an ambiguous one. This study will look at how Web 2.0 has contributed to the development of the theory behind the 'open government' approach. The World Wide Web, has created remarkable way in- which creativity has been enhanced during the past 15 years. The Web revolutionised the way that old media and software companies functioned, and also undermined the power that they held. This new approach is what is referred to as Web 2.0. "Now, a new generation has come of age with the Web, and it is committed to using its lessons of creativity and collaboration to address challenges facing our country and the world. Meanwhile, with the proliferation of issues and not enough resources to address them all, many government leaders recognise the opportunities Web 2.0 technologies provide not just to help them get elected, but to help them do a better job. By analogy, many are calling this movement Government 2. 0.” Web 2.0 will seek to understand if the 'rule by the people' will be enhanced through this approach. If this is the case, are there limitations to what extent the government can be transparent in its practices? Are there areas where information cannot be made public? To what extent is there a correlation between the 'open government' approach and the democratic ideals? [...]