I am on the look out for other government-led "e-democracy" efforts (at any level) similiar to the recent UK announcements (see below). If you are interested in this issue, join my 2200 person Democracies Online Newswire e-mail annoucement list <http://www.e-democracy.org/do> for updates on this new e-government trend. Thanks, Steven Clift Democeracies Online Newswire *** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** The "e-democracy" shot heard around the world. The UK government has just announced a major e-democracy policy. Yes, a government-led e-democracy agenda. In my opinion, e-government will succeed only if it stands on two equal legs - service and democracy. I expect that many leading governments around the world will take up the UK's call and launch their own e-democracy initiatives to build a more balanced and successful approach to e-government. This is a completely new phase in the evolution of thought about government's democratic role in the information age - that of an initiator and actor and not simply a reactor to political and civic uses of the Internet that wash over their old forms of decision- making while elected and appointed officials feel helpless without the online tools required to be better representatives. Think of this new movement as "Representative E-Government," where the two-way Internet is integrated into the governance and representation process on par with the provision of online transaction services. The alternative is a services first approach that automates the government services that people no longer want in a way the increases the power of administration over elective representatives and citizens. What the UK government has done is break through the narrow notion that e-democracy is about outsiders pushing for online voting about everything. Instead, building e-democracy is a fundamental responsibility of a legitimate democratic nation in the information age. Hooray. Below are links to some news coverage, a press release from the UK Prime Minister's office, the major speech given by Douglas Alexander the Minister for E-commerce and Competitiveness, and another more detailed press release from the Department of Trade and Industry. Steven Clift Democracies Online http://www.e-democracy.org/do Press coverage about the e-democracy policies announced by the UK government: E-democracy moves up the agenda http://www.ukauthority.com/articles/story378.asp UK Govt calls for e-democracy http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/22477.html Some semi-related coverage: Blair 'big bang' theory to delay freedom act (Not all rosey) http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,581045,00.html Labour MP calls for e-mail democracy (Oct 22, related) http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001364829,00.html