IT, demokrati och det politiska uppdraget: IT för att befästa makt eller ge medborgarna ökat inflytande [IT, Democracy and the Political Mission: IT for the Maintaining Power or for Increasing the Citizens' Influence]

Abstract

Over the last years, several democratic experiments in relation to ICT have been conducted in Sweden. This article deals with the development in the municipality of Älvsjö in Stockholm City, Sweden. Älvsjö has gained certain reputation for their work in relation to democracy and ICT and is used in this article to exemplify a major argument. This argument is related to what kind of democratic development that can be expected in municipalities with progressive ICT and democracy policies. Two views are contrasted and investigated through a series of interviews. On the one hand, that ICT is used to strengthen the ambition of local politicians to increase the influence of citizens and party members. On the other, that ICT strengthens the development towards a few active politicians gaining more power.

This brief study indicates that while ICT is used for expanding the communication and influence of the citizens, the same cannot be said for the local political parties internally, where the notion that active politicians are gaining more power cannot be dismissed.