Principles of Digital Democracy

Drawing on almost a decade of first-hand experience, Principles of Digital Democracy presents a unique look at digital democracy tools in action. Whether it is carbon budgeting in Canada, voting on legislation in Italy or policy consultation in Taiwan, this book explains not just what is possible to achieve with digital democracy tools today, but how to assess the life-cycle of civic engagement, as well as different approaches to security and policy implementation.

Principles of Digital Democracy combines theory with practice, giving the reader an overarching theory of the components (Bestandteile) of digital democracy (e.g. ideation, deliberation, decision-making), as well as numerous case studies from around the world. Interviews with organizers and participants provide further insight into who participates in digital democracy and why they do so.

Dr. Roslyn Fuller is the Managing Director of the Solonian Democracy Institute, an Irish think tank focussed on researching alternative democratic practices. An international jurist by training (PhD International Law, Trinity College, Dublin), her research combines insights from ancient Athenian democracy with modern methods of digital, distributed decision-making. The author of several books including Beasts and Gods: How Democracy Changed Its Meaning and Lost Its Purpose (Zed Books, 2015) and In Defence of Democracy (Polity, 2019), she advocates for a principles-based understanding of democracy that cherishes wide and deep democratic participation not tied to specific outcomes. Dr. Fuller also regularly contributes to broadcast and print media, including The Nation, The LA Review of Books and The Financial Times.