The digitalisation of politics, i.e. the adaptation of political systems and processes to be operated with the use of computers and the internet, transcends the political landscape and leads us to reconceptualise core democratic concepts such as participation, representation, and public service in a new light. This course introduces these transformations. It covers (1) digital elections, (2) the digitalisation of main interactions between citizens and political elites, (3) digital activism, and (4) digital government. Students are encouraged to think critically about the role and workings of government and political actors, conceptualize new ways in which the internet can deepen or challenge democracy, and understand the limitations of applying technology to government.

You have undoubtedly used the Internet or digital technology to participate in some form of civic engagement. Perhaps you have used a social network site to express support or disagreement for a political candidate, or maybe you have subscribed to receive updates and news from a non-profit organization’s listserv or website. From your experience using the Internet, as well as your knowledge of current events, you are likely to be well aware that politicians and political groups in Europe and throughout the globe leverage the Internet as a critical tool for informing, engaging, and activating audiences.

This course will explore how the internet, new media and new forms of technology have changed the ways in which we participate in our political systems and, even more importantly, how democracy work. The impact of digital technologies on democracy covers all types of democracy, meaning they affect the functioning of representative democracy (eg. elections), of deliberative democracy (eg. consultations, participatory decision-making) and direct democracy (eg. referenda). Digital technologies are also increasingly used to conduct public service delivery and develop public policies (eg. cyber diplomacy, data-driven campaigns, AI-driven policy-making). We will discuss the negative and positive externalities of such digital transformations. On the one hand, digital technologies support the vitality and expansion of open and decentralized networks that provide increased opportunities for humans to engage in new and creative forms of civic activities. On the other hand, they raise new challenges to democratic quality of contemporary democracies in terms, among other things, of transparency, security, ethics and privacy issues.

Course overview:
1. INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS DIGITAL DEMOCRACY?
2. ELECTRONIC VOTING
3. INTERNET, GENDER, AND DEMOCRACY
4. ALGORITHMIC GOVERNANCE, FAIRNESS AND BIASES
5. EU DIGITAL POLICIES (1)
6. EU DIGITAL POLICIES (2)
7. DELIBERATIVE, DIRECT DEMOCRACY AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
8. SMART CITIES
9. DATA DRIVEN CAMPAIGNS AND DIGITAL PARTIES
10. FALSE CLAIMS IN POLITICS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
11. BIG DATA, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DEMOCRACY
12. WRAP UP AND STUDENT PRESENTATIONS