Hansard Society

Programmes

eDemocracy

Exploring the social and political impacts of digital media

eDemocracy

Since 1997 the Hansard Society's Digital Democracy Programme has led the way in understanding how digital media affect and transform the way democracy works. We were the first dedicated research unit to explore the political and social impact of information and communications technology (ICT). Our research, networks and experience mean that we keep our finger on the pulse of this fast changing area and our reputation for impartiality means that we are a trusted partner and a contributor to the wider debate.

From the internet's impact on parliament, to better government engagement with citizens and the potential for civil society to harness digital media, our thought-leading research has been a formative part of an emergent digital Britain. Today, we undertake research and produce publications and commentaries that deliver value and push the boundaries of digital democracy.

Our work is about democratic innovation. Foccusing on online political communication and citizen engagement, our work explores the many faces of digital inclusion, citizen engagement, political campaigning and parliamentary process.

Our work is known for its practical, relevant and timely results and is highly valued by the key decision makers and influencers across parliament, central and local government - nationally and internationally. Our work influences policy and processes, is used by practitioners and academics and contributes not only to the scholarly debate but to practical solutions that enhance democracy: We seek to understand and to reshape civic and political spaces as they are affected by digital media.

The Digital Democracy Programme is:

Dr Andy Williamson - Director

Beccy Allen - Researcher/Project Manager

Freddy Fallon - Researcher

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Can your MP use their email once parliament is dissolved?

When Parliament is dissolved our MPs (and their staff) will have to contend with some significant changes to the way they can use IT (and other parliamentary services). From the day of dissolution their status changes and they can longer do many of the things that MPs have taken for granted. Networks get switched off and email must be forwarded to third-party accounts. Most importantly, any reference to being an MP has to be dropped, potentially affecting numerous websites and online identities.
First time voters want a conversation with their MPs

New research asks first-time voters, parliamentarians and parliamentary officials about their visions for a future Parliament. We found that all groups wanted to see Parliament using new technologies to more actively engage with citizens. First-time voters want Parliament to engage with them through MPs visiting schools and by using popular websites and social networks. Parliamentary officials, MPs and Peers prioritised informing the public but focused less on engaging in two-way communication. MPs and Peers were more interested in modernising procedures and using new technology to make parliamentary processes more efficient and understandable for those both within and without parliament.
Digital citizens and democratic engagement

Digital citizens and democratic participation: An analysis of how citizens participate online and connect with MPs and Parliament - shows that for Britons who are already online, the internet has made it easier to take part in civic and political activities and that half of them prefer to use the internet to take part in democratic life.
Birds of a feather?

Twitter is a hot topic and the media love the Twitter angle. But how much value is Twitter adding to the political debate and, realistically, what expectations should we have for Twitter during the forthcoming campaign? A look at recent Twitter activity suggests that in reality Twitter’s real value lies in keeping in touch with the already highly engaged and as a conduit to the mainstream media.
Digital Papers: Twitter: Communication tool or pointless vanity?

The social networking application Twitter has become an increasingly relevant and much talked about tool for the digital politician. As recently as December 2008 only two MPs were regularly dispatching 140-character ‘tweets', as a twitter message is known. Today, this has risen to 79 or just over 12% of MPs. That's about the same number with a blog but fewer than the 30% with a presence on Facebook. This rapid rise has led to the portrayal of Twitter as either revolutionary or a pointless fad. The reality lies somewhere in-between, a continuation of the increasingly fast news and information cycle that started with the printing press and evolved through radio, TV and blogs.
Digital Papers: MPs on Facebook

This new research paper examines how parliamentarians are using social media. It describes how MPs are largely using Facebook as a one-way publishing medium and how this ignores the real benefits of social media. Most MPs have a long way to go before they can claim to truly understand the power of social media.
Our top five priorities for the Director of Digital Engagement

With the new Director of Digital Engagement taking up his position at the Cabinet Office very soon, we've reviewed the Power of Information Taskforce recommendations and thought a little about what we think the top five priorities are going to be for this job.
The internet is a great tool for transparency in public life

At the centre of the current MPs' expenses row lies a system that is at best opaque. Former Scottish Deputy First Minister, Lord Wallace, notes that the Scottish Parliament has largely avoided controversy over MSPs' expenses because they are regularly published online. Before the UK Parliament can start rebuilding public trust, expenses data for all MPs needs to be made available online and, most importantly, this needs to be done using open data standards so that others can analyse, map and create mashups using it.
Director of Digital Engagement appointed

The Government has announced the new Director of Digital Engagement, Andrew Stott. It's highly likely that those outside of government have never come across him. Despite the rhetoric that this was to be a radical new appointment, that new blood was needed, that this job required a good knowledge of social media, of Web2.0 and how the world outside Whitehall worked... we get a life-long Whitehall insider.
Under the bonnet: The engines that drive digital democracy

The internet is having a dramatic and transforming affect on politics. This might not be obvious or even visible to many people yet but it is happening and it matters. When the BBC finally reported a speech by MEP Daniel Hannan, the 'news' was how the video had spread virally across the internet, not the speech itself. This shows us two things, first that the mainstream media still trivialises the power the internet and, second, that doing so is a big mistake.