The Use of Information and Communication Technology for Developing Democracy

(New model of public decision making by using ICT)

Behnam Faghih

International Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government 2014 (CeDEM14 )

CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY

Marx Democracy means free participation of people to

display democracy and giving opportunity to minority to have the chance to become the members of the majority

As long as private ownership of properties exists, the owner of this class uses this freedom for their personal objectives

So the majority will be preventedThe dictatorship of bourgeois

(Ashouri, 1994)

CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY (CONT.)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Four conditions to implement democracy (Rousseau,

1950):

1. A very small state, where the people can readily be got together and where each citizen can know all the rest with ease

2. Great simplicity of manners, to prevent business from multiplying and raising thorny problems

3. A large measure of equality in rank and fortune, without which equality of rights and authority cannot long subsist

4. Little or no luxury-for luxury either comes from riches or makes them necessary

CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY (CONT.)

Plato(Wolff, 2002, p. 29)

Denies democracy completely The health of the state is of no less importance

than the health of the individuals within that state. Taking a vote on matters of state is just as mad as taking a vote on matters of health. Democracy, then, is utterly irrational

Example: imagine that you have a serious problem with one of your hands and you are not sure whether or not you should let the doctors cut it

NEW MODEL FOR VOTING TO MAKE DECISION

In Plato's view point, it should be considered that although ordinary people would not be able to have a viewpoint as good as a specialist, but they could have some experiences which can be considered as valuable knowledge. If a sick person goes to see one hundred non-specialist people

M agreementsN disagreements

And also see 5 doctors X agreements Y disagreements

Comparing M+X (the number of agreements) N+Y (the number of disagreements)

Comparing (N×1) + (Y×15) and (M×1) +(X×15)

NEW MODEL FOR VOTING TO MAKE DECISION (CONT.)

The coefficients can become more accurateDividing five doctors into five categories:

Specialist=30Academic doctors=25Senior doctors=20 Junior doctors=15Medical students=10

Ordinary people should be divided into different categoriesHave experienced the same disease, Have experienced some similar diseasesDo not have any experience at all

To have a better choice if other parameters:Number of books Number of papers Number of similar patients and result of their treatments

NEW MODEL FOR VOTING TO MAKE DECISION (CONT.)

Importance of people in a society differs in different matters

The model can be expanded to all important decisions in the whole world

FEATURES OF THE MODEL

Realization of democracy in the truest sense of the word (rule of the people)

Reduction of the gap between government and citizens

Power structure based on knowledge Integration of the world The candidates cannot use demagoguery method

to get people’s vote

New definition of Democracy

Participation of people in different decisions (but not every simple decision) being made all over the world, that influence their lives (directly or indirectly), specifying the coefficients of voters by considering knowledge and amount of impact of decision on them, and these coefficients can be positive, zero or even negative, and also coefficients of each voter can be different in different decisions.

Future works

Specifying the subjects that people should make decisions themselves instead of the deputations

Specifying the fields that make differentiation among people. In other words the options that show importance of each voter should be specified

Experimental implementation of the model in sub systems to evaluate and clarify related statistics

Diagnosing the importance of this method of voting in different nations and the amount of usability and uselessness

Investigating the interaction between countries and investigating the methods that other nations would be able to participate in important voting of other countries that influence their lives

References

Ashouri, D. (1994). Encyclopaedia of Politics (Persian: Dānesh-nāme-ye siāsi). Tehran: Morvarid.

Rousseau, J. J. (1950). The Social Contract and Discourse. (H. G. Cole, Übers.) New York: E. P. Dutton.

Wolff, J. (2002). Are we good enough for democracy? Think, 1(2), 29-34.

Thanks