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Abstract:
This book addresses one of the greatest challenges of post-modern democracy: how to bridge the perceived gap between citizens and democratic institutions. It examines internet-mediated multi-stakeholder processes of international and regional organisations - the European Union and United Nations - which aim to democratise decision-making processes in an attempt to counter criticisms of a 'democratic deficit'. The book evaluates two multi-stakeholder consultation processes where the internet played an important mediating role. It critically evaluates multi-stakeholderism as well as the potentials and constraints of the internet in terms of mediating or facilitating such consultation processes at international and regional levels of governance. It also addresses the perceived impact of civil society organisations on decision-making processes beyond the nation-state and, in turn, the impact of such participatory experiments on civil society itself.
Contents:
PART 1: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
1. Theorising multi-stakeholderism
2. Internet and democracy
PART II: EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS
3. Global and European multi-stakeholder processes
4. Productive power in the WSIS
5. Productive power in the Convention on the Future of Europe
6. Does any of it make a difference?
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