Political Participation in the Digital Age

1. Why did You chose this topic?

In 2010, the creative and unusual (-ly digital) election campaign of Icelandic comedian Jón Gnarr and the newly founded Best Party gained worldwide media attention. I had just spent a term studying at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík, so I was still very interested in everything happening on the island. Especially the Best Party's use of the Internet to basically crowdsource their party manifesto inspired me to look into innovative ways of using digital tools for political participation.

2. What new perspectives does your book offer?

My book offers a unique ethnographic perspective on political participation in the digital age in both Iceland and Germany. It focuses not on software or political frameworks, but on the actors engaging with the digital deliberation and participation tools. How do citizens, programmers, as well as politicians and administration interact with the platforms and each other? Under which circumstances do limitations of digital political participation become visible? What can be done to avoid them?

3. What makes your topic relevant for current research debates?

Initial euphoria about the Internet's potential to fundamentally innovate political decision-making processes and to mobilize large numbers of apolitical citizens has subsided. Still the integration of digital tools holds promises of citizens' increased political interest as well as low threshold acts of political participation. My book contributes thick descriptions of two case studies to the discourse on the everyday integration and usage of the Internet for deliberation and participation.

4. Choose one person you would like to discuss your book with!

Since the aim of my book was always to contribute insights and practical recommendations of what works and what does not in terms of digital deliberation and participation processes, I would rather much prefer to discuss my book with all citizens, programmers, as well as politicians and administration interested in these topics rather than one specific theorist or thinker.

5. Your book summary in one sentence:

Look no further for interesting ethnographic insights on how to make use of the Internet to increase citizens' political interest and participation.