RC10Logo2.jpg New innovative participatory instruments move to more strongly discursive-interactive designed procedures that correspond to models of deliberative politics and a communitarian democracy. In this evolution of the public spaces the new information and communication technologies can play an important role. Internet can give a new impetus in worldwide boom of direct democracy. What types of new electronic direct deliberative democracy instruments are developed? What are criteria for an evaluation of these instruments? In what fields are these new information technologies implemented? Do electronic town meetings, webforums, e-conferences, e-participatory budgeting etc. enhance deliberation? What are the problems and benefits of online political forums and what is their future development?
The workshop was part of the Slovenian Association of Political Science conference. "TWENTY YEARS OF SLOVENIAN STATEHOOD" at Grand hotel Metropol, Portorož, Slovenia, 2nd – 4th of June 2011

Panel: IPSA RC 10 – Electronic direct democracy and the quality of political discourse
• head: Norbert Kersting (Germany)
• participants:
Evgeny Ishmenev (Russia): New media as a part of the “symbolic politics”
Steven Connolley (Canada): A Comparative Case-Study Project of Liberal E-Democracy and Political Associations in Civil Society
Jason P Abbot (USA): Cacophonyor empowerment? Analyzing the socio-political impact of the Internet in Asia
Gil Ferreira (Portugal): Political debate on weblogs: a virtual public sphere for deliberation?


Panel: IPSA RC 10 – Electronic direct democracy and the quality of democracy
• head: Norbert Kersting (Germany)
• participants:
Simon Delakorda (Slovenia): Deliberation challenges for articles 6,7 and 8: the case of citizen’s forum
Tanja Oblak and Jernej Prodnik (Slovenia): From opinion expression to deliberation: A critical analysis of the “I propose to the government” deliberative e-tool
Jiří Dušek and Lubomír Pána (Czech Republic): Financial and political; problems of e-democracy in the Czech Republic
Norbert Merkovity (Hungary): The Digital Era Governance in Micro Environment; Case study: City of Szeged