E-Democracy in East Asia? How the Internet Affects Politics and Civil Society in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

New technologies offer new networking opportunities, which may affect participation by a broader audience. A workshop held at the DIJ in 2003 discussed in which ways such technologies – especially the Internet – affect political participation of citizens in elections and local government initiatives as well as in NGOs and citizens groups. Which particular tools are employed and how effective are they? The discussion dealt with the impact of the Internet on a variety of political actors, including political parties and candidates, mainstream and minorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the vast majority of citizens and small citizens groups with special concerns. The results of that workshop are gathered in this short collection of articles. It includes the papers by five participants as well as a summary of the discussion and conclusions.