E-politics from the citizens’ perspective. The role of social networking tools in influencing citizens

The progress of civilization, supported by the development of new technologies, has led to a series of social, economic and political changes. The information society, in its expectations and through access to knowledge, has significantly affected a change in the model of democracy, causing a kind of return to the original forms of communication in citizen-government relations. This has been accompanied by a shift of social and civic activism from the real to the virtual world. In literature, the use of information and communication technologies in the democratic system is named electronic democracy. One of its forms is e-politics, which is implemented at several levels: institutional, system and civil. A good example of the last type are the new social movements that in recent years have had a significant impact on politics. The basic research problem in this paper concerns e-politics from the citizens’ perspective, through the activities of the new social movements, especially of a political nature. The main research goal is therefore to present the role of social networking tools in influencing citizens and their subsequent activities that have triggered changes in the political system. The methods used in the paper are case study and comparative analysis

Izvještavanje masovnih medija i javno mnijenje o e-demokraciji u Poljskoj: slučaj elektroničkog glasovanja

The rapid development of new technologies and their impressive communication capacity has fundamentally changed modern democracy by providing easy and universal access to information, as well as increasing participation and accessibility of political involvement tools. One of the electoral participation tools is e-voting which has been used in only a few countries. The main aim of the paper is to explore whether and how e-voting has been presented in Polish mass media (1), as well as to investigate people’s opinions about e-voting against certain political factors (2). The research is based on a media content analysis (quantitative and qualitative), data collected via the Content Analysis System for Television (CAST) and a quantitative analysis of data from a survey conducted by the authors (2018, sample: 1717 Poles). The results of the analyses show that the debate on the implementation of e-voting is rather poor, but the support for e-voting among Poles remains considerable. The public media rhetoric is interlinked with attitudes towards political parties. To some extent, determinants are reflected in the public opinion on the implementation of e-voting since Poles declare both their support for the introduction of e-voting and willingness to vote online.Brz razvoj novih tehnologija te njihov impresivan komunikacijski kapacitet iz temelja su promijenili modernu demokraciju, omogućujući jednostavan i univerzalan pristup informacijama, kao i sve veću participatiju te dostupnost alata za političko sudjelovanje. Jedan od alata za sudjelovanje na izborima je e-glasovanje koje se koristi u samo nekoliko zemalja. Glavni cilj ovog rada jest istražiti je li i kako je e-glasovanje predstavljeno u poljskim masovnim medijima (1) te istražiti mišljenja ljudi o e-glasovanju u odnosu na određene političke čimbenike (2). Istraživanje se temelji na analizi medijskog sadržaja (kvantitativnoj i kvalitativnoj), podacima prikupljenim putem Sustava za analizu televizijskog sadržaja (Content Analysis System for Television - CAST) te na kvantitativnoj analizi podataka prikupljenih anketom koju su proveli autori (2018, uzorak: 1717 Poljaka). Rezultati analiza pokazuju da je rasprava o implementaciji e-glasovanja prilično loša, ali podrška e-glasovanju među Poljacima ostaje značajna. Također, rezultati pokazuju da je retorika javnih medija povezana sa stavovima prema političkim strankama. Donekle se te odrednice odražavaju u javnom mnijenju o implementaciji e-glasovanja, budući da Poljaci daju potporu uvođenju e-glasovanja te izražavaju spremnost za glasovanje putem interneta

Język polityków w dyskursie wyborczym kampanii samorządowej 2006 w Bydgoszczy

The research made by the author of this article is characteristic of the politician's language propagated during electoral campaings as posters, leaflets, publications and also during the meetings and public debates. These forms of communication between candidates and voters show the kind of mottos, slogans or images used to convince the electors to vote for promoted politicians. The first part of the article is a description of the electoral contest between the candidates for councillorship. The latter part concentrates on the politician's rivalry for the presidental post of Bydgoszcz, these campaings were often more spectacular. When the candidates for councillors used to use a lot of different ideas for the city development in their programme, either their own mottos or the party mottos as a future vision of city development, at the same time - the aspirants for president were very similar in their political offer but differed greatly by presentation. A typical situation where the candidates have similar goals, tasks and beliefs that only their own victory will provide welfare for the city and prosperity for its citizens. Candidates use many different types of speech to express similar messages

The weaknesses of majority voting systems. A voice in the discussion on the proposed changes in the Polish voting system

The proposal to introduce a majority voting system has become one of the most crucial elements of rivalry in the Polish presidential campaign of 2015. It was accompanied by an accusation that the proportional voting system seemingly affects the political life in Poland, making it more and more party-dependant. The aim of the present article is to refute the above accusation and present the weaknesses of the majority voting systems, based on British political system. Comparative, historical and analytical methods will be used in order to substantiate the thesis of the article, i.e. that political parties’ influence will not be reduced due to the introduction of the majority voting system. Moreover, the article will also discuss the reasons behind and consequences of using the proportional voting system in Poland, in the light of the so called “crisis of democracy”.Propozycja wprowadzenia większościowego systemu wyborczego stała się jednym z ważniejszych elementów walki wyborczej w wyborach prezydenckich w Polsce 2015 r. Towarzyszył jej zarzut co do wpływu proporcjonalnej ordynacji wyborczej na upartyjnienie życia poli-tycznego w Polsce. Celem artykułu jest obalenie tego zarzutu i prezen-tacja słabości większościowych systemów wyborczych na podstawie doświadczeń brytyjskich. W artykule posłużono się metodą porównawczą, historyczną i analityczną, aby udowodnić słuszność tezy, że wpływ partii politycznych w systemie politycznym nie ulegnie zmniejszeniu po wpro wadzeniu większościowej ordynacji wyborczej. Problem badawczy stanową ponadto przyczyny i konsekwencje stosowania proporcjonalnej ordynacji wyborczej w Polsce w świetle tzw. kryzysu demokracji

The Internet Users’ Opinions on Public E-Services: Empirical Analysis

This article has been written within the research project: E-voting as an alternative way of voting procedures in national elections. Experiences of selected countries and prospects for implementation e-voting in Poland (E-voting jako alternatywna procedura głosowania w elekcjach państwowych. Doświadczenia wybranych państw a perspektywy wdrożenia e-głosowania w Polsce) – financed by the National Science Center in Poland UMO-2014/15/B/HS5/01358.Public services are one of the most dynamically developing areas of the state’s functioning, which is confirmed by the systematically increasing number of e-services and their users in individual coun- tries. For more than 25 years, Poland has been gradually employing ICT in public administration services. The first honest public discussion on e-government started in 1994 after democratic transformation and accession to the European Union. However, the actual development of e-government in Poland began in 2005–2006. In Poland, the most significant number of people using e-government services was recorded in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to epidemic restrictions, citizens could deal with more official mat- ters via the Internet. The main research problem in this article is related to Poles’ declarations, opinions on the accessibility and use of public e-services offered, and their attitudes towards the availability and greater offer of e-services. The authors aimed to verify the hypothesis, assuming that Poles’ declarations and opinions on electronic public services correlate with their time spent on the Internet each week. The issue has been presented in the form of an analysis of empirical data regarding Poles’ experience and opinions on electronic administration tools (in the context of Internet usage) and statistical data regarding -government development in Poland

British Party System Change. The Impact of Changing Voters, Devolution and Cabinet Coalition on the Two-Party System

The article describes the analysis of the modern British party system in the age of changes and transformations. In particular, it analyzes the changes in the electorate as well as the legal-institutional conditions which, in consequence, led to a shift in the balance of power between the political parties on the parliamentary level that occurred after the 2010 general election. Forming a coalition in the Parliament and the Cabinet marked the beginning of an ideologically and politically difficult rule of two parties which both politicians and voters alike had to learn. I argue that the above circumstances led to a certain “crisis” not only in the way administration is handled but also in the society’s political participation. Simultaneously, it relates to what I view as a change in the British party system. The present article largely focuses on the transformations within the British party system that occurred in the early 21st century, on the genesis of the processes which affects the transformations in the above system, as well as on the causes and effects of these phenomena

Elektroniczna partycypacja obywatelska jako przedmiot badań

Elektroniczna partycypacja obywatelska stanowi przedmiot zainteresowania zarówno badaczy, jak i organizacji międzynarodowych oraz instytucji władzy państwowej i lokalnej. Ma to związek z wpływem nowoczesnych technologii na społeczeństwo obywatelskie i zmianami w relacji obywatel-państwo. Mimo iż jest to stosunkowo nowy obszar badań naukowych, stanowi przedmiot licznych refleksji teoretycznych, jak i empirycznych weryfikacji. Artykuł ma na celu usystematyzowanie wiedzy na temat elektronicznej partycypacji obywatelskiej jako przedmiotu badań naukowych. Przedstawia jej ujęcie definicyjne, zawiera przegląd teorii naukowych oraz badań empirycznych prowadzonych w tym obszarze

Political Trust vs. Turnout in Modern Democracies

The article analyzes the relations between political trust - one of the most important values in the life of political communities - and election-related behaviors in the narrow meaning of voting. Researchers investigate the phenomenon of decreasing turnout as one of the expressions of democratic crisis. When studying such a complex problem, it is essential to search for multi-theme causes which might be helpful in understanding the topic and possibly finding a solution for it. The author of this article, while assuming the correctness of analyzes conducted thus far, which indicate that the problem lies in weaker attachment to political parties, less interest in politics and inadequate tools, raises questions whether the decreasing turnout in individual states may be related to the level of trust that citizens put in political institutions and whether there is a relation between these both indicators. In order to answer these questions, the author employs a quantitative analysis of data which derive from reports containing percentage levels of political trust and turnout in the elections, a comparative analysis, as well as an overview of literature on the subject

Elektroniczne formy partycypacji politycznej w Wielkiej Brytanii – doświadczenia i zamierzenia

The present article describes the broad notion of electronic political participation in Great Britain – from grass-roots activities (political movements, protests), to government decisions that lead to the organization and implementation of electronic public services (e.g. e-government, e-voting). Experiences are mostly mentioned as matters related to the turnout, citizen participation in various forms of protests (especially after 2010) as well as Great Britain’s accomplishments in terms of e-government. Intentions are first and foremost activities related to the implementation of e-voting in the country. The author of the present article discusses these topics using a case study approach, as well as comparative and descriptive analyses. To do this, the author uses data available in the form of reports, empirical research and press analyses. It has been concluded that the British people are not particularly open to the use of electronic tools in the public sector but there is much organizational and political effort of the elites to implement these solutions. The issue of further work on the development of e-participation in this country (e-voting in particular) remains unsolved.Artykuł prezentuje szeroko rozumiane elektroniczne uczestnictwo polityczne na przykładzie Wielkiej Brytanii – od działań oddolnych (ruchy społeczne, protesty), po decyzje rządowe, w wyniku których w tym kraju zorganizowano, wdrożono i realizuje się świadczenie usług publicznych drogą elektroniczną (e-admnistracja, głosowanie elektroniczne). Wśród doświadczeń wymienia się przede wszystkim kwestie związane z frekwencją wyborczą, partycypacją obywatelską w różnych formach protestu (zwłaszcza po 2010 roku), a także osiągnięcia Wielkiej Brytanii w zakresie e-administracji. Jeśli chodzi o zamierzenia, to chodzi przede wszystkim o działania na rzecz wprowadzenia głosowania elektronicznego w tym kraju. Autorka posługuje się metodą analizy przypadku, analizy porównawczej, a także opisową. Sięga po dane dostępne w formie raportów i badań empirycznych, a także posługuje się analizą prasy. Wśród wniosków zwraca się uwagę na ograniczoną otwartość Brytyjczyków na zastosowanie narzędzi elektronicznych w sektorze publicznym, przy jednoczesnym dużym wysiłku organizacyjnym i politycznym elit politycznych w ich wdrażaniu. Pytaniem otwartym zostaje kwestia dalszych prac nad rozwojem elektronicznej partycypacji w tym kraju (zwłaszcza głosowania elektronicznego)