Released last year, “A democracia no mundo digital” (Democracy in the Digital World), by INCT.DD coordinator Wilson Gomes, is now available under a Creative Commons license. The book’s text can therefore be copied and distributed, provided that the author is credited and the material is not used for commercial purposes.
“Democracy in the Digital World” presents a historical account of the idea of electronic and digital democracy, covering transparency, the public sphere, participation, and political deliberation. Gomes divides the book into three periods: “1970–1995 – The origins of the idea of electronic democracy – Teledemocracy”; “1996–2005 – The consolidation of the idea of digital democracy”; and “2006–2015 – The state of digital democracy.” As Gomes explains: “The history of the idea that information technology could improve democratic processes can, of course, reach far back. The invention and, especially, the widespread adoption of a new communication medium have always brought renewed hopes for improvements in democracy and public life.” The book is part of the Digital Democracy series, edited by professor and sociologist Sergio Amadeu da Silveira, also an INCT.DD member.
The book is available in Portuguese and English.
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