3 research outputs found
Towards internet voting in the state of Qatar
Qatar is a small country in the Middle East which has used its oil wealth to invest in the country's infrastructure and education. The technology for Internet voting now exists or can be developed, but are the people of Qatar willing to take part in Internet voting for national elections?. This research identifies the willingness of government and citizens to introduce and participate in Internet voting (I-voting) in Qatar and the barriers that may be encountered when doing so. A secure I voting model for the Qatar government is then proposed that address issues of I-voting which might arise due to the introduction of such new technology. Recommendations are made for the Qatar government to assist in the introduction of I-voting.
The research identifies the feasibility of I-voting and the government s readiness and willingness to introduce it. Multiple factors are examined: the voting experience, educational development, telecommunication development, the large number of Internet users, Qatar law which does not bar the use of I-voting and Qatar culture which supports I-voting introduction. It is shown that there is a willingness amongst both the people and the government to introduce I-voting, and there is appropriate accessibility, availability of IT infrastructure, availability of Internet law to protect online consumers and the existence of the e government project. However, many Qataris have concerns of security, privacy, usability, transparency and other issues that would need to be addressed before any voting system could be considered to be a quality system in the eyes of the voters. Also, the need to consider the security threat associated on client-side machines is identified where a lack of user awareness on information security is an important factor.
The proposed model attempts to satisfy voting principles, introducing a secure platform for I-voting using best practices and solutions such as the smart card, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificates. The model was reviewed by a number of experts on Information Technology, and the Qatari culture and law who found that the system would, generally, satisfy voting principles, but pointed out the need to consider the scalability of the model, the possible cyber-attacks and the risks associated with voters computers. which could be reduced by enhancing user awareness on security and using secure operating systems or Internet browsers. From these findings, a set of recommendations were proposed to encourage the government to introduce I-voting which consider different aspects of I-voting, including the digital divide, e-literacy, I voting infrastructure, legal aspects, transparency, security and privacy. These recommendations were also reviewed by experts who found them to be both valuable and effective.
Since literature on Internet voting in Qatar is sparse, empirical and non-empirical studies were carried out in a variety of surveys, interviews and experiments. The research successfully achieved its aim and objectives and is now being considered by the Qatari Government
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The domestic politics of policy diffusion
Why do some policies diffuse faster and to more countries than others? My dissertation provides a novel theory of policy diffusion. My research design, comparing the different diffusion patterns of three policies in Latin America, overcomes a long-lasting deficiency in the policy diffusion literature. Studies have focused almost exclusively on cases that diffused fast to many countries. This collective selection bias generated a theoretical oversight. Studies mistakenly consider the spread of information about a policy as a sufficient explanation for fast and widespread diffusion. My work focuses on the necessary domestic step, in which policymakers decide whether to enact and implement the idea. The speed and breadth of policies’ diffusion patterns depend on those decisions in multiple countries.
With a focus on Latin America, I argue that presidents are the most influential policymakers. They apply institutional powers to fast-track the adoption of some models and to block the adoption of others. The expectation about the policy’s political effects on their popularity and electoral prospects determines presidents’ behavior. In short, policies that generate immediate political gains for the executive will be fast-tracked in multiple countries, resulting in a fast and wide diffusion. Policy models that reduce presidents’ electoral chances will be repeatedly blocked or delayed, failing to diffuse. In between, policies without a clear electoral effect will be adopted through normal policymaking and are likely to diffuse slowly to multiple countries.
I apply a comparative process-tracing analysis of three policies: conditional cash transfers (CCTs) diffused quickly to most countries in the region; public-private partnerships (PPPs) diffused widely but slowly; and electronic voting machines (EVMs) diffused to only a couple of countries. Official documents and secondary data from eighteen countries reveal that presidents used their powers to accelerate the adoption of CCTs because the policy could increase their popular support among beneficiaries. In turn, they withheld investments in EVMs, which could alter voters’ behavior and jeopardize presidents’ expected electoral support. And these same chief executives initiated PPPs’ adoption but refrained from interfering in Congressional debates and implementation because the policy has limited effects on popularity. In-depth interviews from Colombia and Argentina confirm the political rationale that motivated presidents’ behavior.Governmen
Towards Internet Voting in the State of Qatar
Qatar is a small country in the Middle East which has used its oil wealth to invest in the country's infrastructure and education. The technology for Internet voting now exists or can be developed, but are the people of Qatar willing to take part in Internet voting for national elections?. This research identifies the willingness of government and citizens to introduce and participate in Internet voting (I-voting) in Qatar and the barriers that may be encountered when doing so. A secure I voting model for the Qatar government is then proposed that address issues of I-voting which might arise due to the introduction of such new technology. Recommendations are made for the Qatar government to assist in the introduction of I-voting. The research identifies the feasibility of I-voting and the government s readiness and willingness to introduce it. Multiple factors are examined: the voting experience, educational development, telecommunication development, the large number of Internet users, Qatar law which does not bar the use of I-voting and Qatar culture which supports I-voting introduction. It is shown that there is a willingness amongst both the people and the government to introduce I-voting, and there is appropriate accessibility, availability of IT infrastructure, availability of Internet law to protect online consumers and the existence of the e government project. However, many Qataris have concerns of security, privacy, usability, transparency and other issues that would need to be addressed before any voting system could be considered to be a quality system in the eyes of the voters. Also, the need to consider the security threat associated on client-side machines is identified where a lack of user awareness on information security is an important factor. The proposed model attempts to satisfy voting principles, introducing a secure platform for I-voting using best practices and solutions such as the smart card, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificates. The model was reviewed by a number of experts on Information Technology, and the Qatari culture and law who found that the system would, generally, satisfy voting principles, but pointed out the need to consider the scalability of the model, the possible cyber-attacks and the risks associated with voters computers. which could be reduced by enhancing user awareness on security and using secure operating systems or Internet browsers. From these findings, a set of recommendations were proposed to encourage the government to introduce I-voting which consider different aspects of I-voting, including the digital divide, e-literacy, I voting infrastructure, legal aspects, transparency, security and privacy. These recommendations were also reviewed by experts who found them to be both valuable and effective. Since literature on Internet voting in Qatar is sparse, empirical and non-empirical studies were carried out in a variety of surveys, interviews and experiments. The research successfully achieved its aim and objectives and is now being considered by the Qatari Government.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo