Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-6-2007
Abstract
Techno-optimists advocate the application of information technology to the rulemaking process as a means of advancing strong democracy -- that is, direct, broad-based citizen involvement in regulatory policy making. In this paper, I show that such optimism is unfounded given the obstacles to meaningful citizen deliberation posed by the impenetrability of current e-rulemaking developments, the prevailing level of citizen disengagement from politics and policy making more generally, and most citizens’ lack of the requisite technical information about and understanding of the issues at stake in regulatory decision making. As such, a more realistic goal for the application of new technology to the regulatory process is to expand the information base available to regulatory decision makers through increased interest group pluralism. Instead of creating conditions of strong democracy, information technology can expand the involvement and access of informed, knowledgeable, and affected parties to the rulemaking process, a weaker form of democracy that nevertheless can provide better information for government officials.
Keywords
Information Technology, Regulation, Democratic Theory
Publication Title
Complexty and Social Networks Blog
Repository Citation
Coglianese, Cary, "Weak Democracy, Strong Information: The Role of Information Technology in the Rulemaking Process" (2007). All Faculty Scholarship. 136.
https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/faculty_scholarship/136
Included in
Administrative Law Commons, American Politics Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Law and Society Commons, Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Public Law and Legal Theory Commons, Science and Technology Law Commons
Publication Citation
Complexity and Social Networks Blog (Jan. 10, 2008)