Democracy is being challenged in Latin America like never before in history. While many past problems remain unresolved, new issues have arisen from technology, the emergence of new social actors, and an increasingly complex and unpredictable political subjectivity.
This new research, Digital Participation and Democratic Improvement, aims to update some of the usual democratic debates while establishing a factual basis that allows us to consider ways technology can help improve the quality of democracy. According to the study, digital engagement is strengthening relationships between citizens and policymakers. This is a result of lower barriers of access that provide incentives that facilitate public engagement, making it more effective and more measurable.
Digital engagement increases during elections, and the visibility of these digital spaces puts pressure on policymakers and candidates. Digital platforms also sprout offline engagement which elevates public conversation and impacts the quality of democracy.
At Luminate, we understand that favoring environments of accountability from citizens to politicians in power is a step toward strengthening the democratic experience, and digital platforms are opening possibilities that other methods could not achieve. We hope this research will advance and encourage continued debate.
In this webinar moderated by Gabriela Hadid, Gabriel Palumbo, Daniel Innerarity, Ernesto Skidelsky, Juliana Uribe, and Mónica Macha discussed how to improve democracy after the pandemic.