Citizen Participation in an Internet Era

Résumé

itizen participation in government has relatively recent roots.  For centuries, Europe was dominated by monarchs who offered ordinary citizens limited opportunities to influence, governmental decision-making.  Indeed, some monarchs claimed to have been placed on their thrones by God, and also claimed that their actions and decrees were manifestations of God’s will. Of course, if Kings are “divinely inspired,” and carrying out God’s will through their actions, it is difficult to argue that ordinary people can or should be allowed to question or criticize what they have done, or what God has purportedly done through them.