E-democracy
type of democracy
E-democracy (a mix of the words electronic and democracy), also known as digital democracy or Internet democracy, uses information and communication technology (ICT) in political and governance processes. While associated with e-voting, e-democracy also expands to other levels of political discussion which include engagement between public organizations and people, offering information online to a wider audience and also facilitating political agendas online. The term is commonly attributed to digital activist Steven Clift. E-democracy closely follows e-government and applies ICT to help enhance the quality of voting services, public opinion polling and provide access to the broader populace.
Structure
E-democracy uses digital media to such as television, radio, the Internet, cell phones, and electronic polling systems to involve more people in political discourse.
History
The earliest use of e-democracy dates back to the development of Minnesota E-Democracy Project in July 1994 by then student Steven Clift of Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. The project at first primarily was used to access information from the candidates and info about the candidates running for office in the upcoming state and national election later in the year. Using help by Twin Cities Freenet and the Minnesota Regional Network, the website was opened in August of the same year to the general public. Early use of listserv and Hypermail was also integrated in the website.
In Italy, teledemocracy was introduced in Bologna in 1995 with the introduction of the project Iperbole (Hyperbole).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “E-democracy” is type of democracy. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through E-democracy, type and democracy, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “type of democracy” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q855175. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1994 and 1995.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “E-democracy”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow E-democracy primary sources, E-democracy archive and E-democracy research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “E-democracy”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “E-democracy” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.