A Rapid Feedback App: Possibilities and Pitfalls for Extended Democracy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v27i2.11368

Keywords:

Digital citizen participation, e-participation, democratic innovation, local democracy, school democracy

Abstract

Recently, a democratic deficit has called for new forms of e-participation to increase or deepen citizens’ political participation. A new solution for rapid feedback, GiMening, is undergoing development and implementation in Norway. This article contributes to the understanding of the implementation of quick-response tools by suggesting which key points of awareness must be considered to enhance associated possibilities and avoid pitfalls. The research questions under examination are: How do municipal political leadership, school leadership and youth perceive the need for extended digital citizen participation? What are their thoughts on the possibilities and pitfalls that GiMening may trigger during its implementation and use in different contexts? Research on digital engagement and political participation among Scandinavian youth is used to theorise about the concept of democratic innovation. The data material consists of semi-structured interviews with actors from five Norwegian municipalities. The main findings of the analysis show that the use of GiMening could lower the threshold for participation, lead to better-informed decisions, increase citizens’ level of trust and improve awareness of people’s opinions; however, there are pitfalls related to the risk that GiMening might be used only as a one-way information sharing tool or that decision-makers will not apply input data.

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Author Biographies

Mette Sønderskov, Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Mette Sønderskov, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Her research interests include public innovation, collaborative governance and outsiderness among young people.

Anne Tortzen, Center for Borgerdialog, Denmark

Anne Tortzen, PhD, is the director of the Center for Citizen Dialogue, Denmark. She is also a freelance researcher studying co-production and co-creation in public organisations

Ulla Higdem, Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Ulla Higdem, D.Sc., is a full professor at the Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Her research interests include new forms of steering (governance) and planning, innovative networks, policy innovation, and processes for regional and local planning and development.

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Published

2023-06-15

How to Cite

Sønderskov, M., Tortzen, A., & Higdem, U. (2023). A Rapid Feedback App: Possibilities and Pitfalls for Extended Democracy . Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 27(2), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v27i2.11368

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Original Articles

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