E-Government/E-Democracy Resources

Civic involvement can lead to economic development and this, in turn, can lead to a more favourable performance by democratic institutions, and more social trust of government by citizens see [ Local Governance, Democracy and Development Policies: A Critical Analysis of the Mexican and the Pakistani Cases ]. ICT can play an important role in increasing civic involvement. Creating and supporting these systems of e-government or e-democracy can help create a more direct relationship between people and their representatives, and empower citizens with knowledge that can help them make informed decisions.

Some online volunteers help citizens in developing countries learn to use the Internet to find government information, contact elected officials or regional offices, and research government programs; or, they help organizations set up Web sites for local and regional governments that will allow citizens to engage in all of the aforementioned activities. These resources can help:  

The International Teledemocracy Centre
Aims to develop and apply advanced information and communication technology to enhance and support the democratic decision-making process. The center works to promote the application of ICT by governments and parliaments worldwide in order that elected members and supporting staff can conduct their business more effectively and efficiently;  to demonstrate how technology can contribute to more openness and accessibility in government;  and to encourage and assist the public, voluntary organisations and business to participate in government through the use of technology. ITC is a multi-disciplinary research unit in the Faculty of Computing and Engineering at Napier University. It was set up in 1999 by Napier University in partnership with BT Scotland.  

Edemocracy
From UK Citizens Online Democracy, provides information, resources, help and guidance on electronic democracy. Its resource center offers a number of articles and reports of relevance to electronic democracy, such as "The impact of telematics on local governance and delivery of services," "Edemocracy Check List for Local Government," and "Planning and Creating a Government Web Site: Learning from the Experience of US States." Also provides several of its own forums to discuss political issues affecting the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). 

Guidelines for the Content and Structure of Parliamentary Web Sites
The Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the world organization of parliaments of sovereign States, promotes the concept that all national parliaments should enhance their presence on the Internet and make best use of this communication medium, in particular the World Wide Web, to foster the visibility and accessibility of representative institutions and to promote democracy. These guidelines, in PDF format, offer excellent advice towards this concept. The Union is the focal point for world-wide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and co-operation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative democracy. The IPU supports the efforts of the United Nations, and is working with UNESCO to prepare a joint publication addressing the impact of information technologies on legislative institutions and the need for a legal, socio-economic and ethical framework ensuring access to cyberspace for all.