Forms of Civic Participation in an Information Society in the Context of the Use of Information and Telecommunications Technologies in Poland

Abstrakt

The development of information and communication technologies over the last few years, in particular, has changed the image of the contemporary society. Easier and faster access to information and knowledge has contributed to the increase of social awareness of both individuals and entire communities, in addition to the change of their expectations towards the state, its authorities and administration, decisions made by them, as well as to the shaping of a new outlook on the manner and form of individuals’ engagement in issues of public concern. These changes mean that the previous forms of civic participation in the execution of public matters require revision and complementation by such forms of participation that would make use of solutions based on state-of-the-art techniques as well as IT and telecommunication tools. Supporters of using such modern technologies in democratic processes indicate a wide range of advantages related thereto, both individual and social. They include, among others, limitation of conflicts in societies, enhancement of effectiveness in decision-making processes and the quality of decisions, increase in credibility and reinforcement of the image of authorities and their administration, as well as boosting the motivation and engagement of individuals in issues of public concern. Are these the only advantages? Are there any disadvantages or risks entailed by the use of these solutions? The following article is an attempt at providing answers to these questions. This paper primarily presents the Polish experience in the implementation of individual forms of participation with the use of IT and telecommunications solutions, and in particular their nature, prerequisites for use, pros and cons involved their meaning in democratic processes and finally, influence on individual - pubic authority relations.