Other Publications (in Ukrainian) by Jordanka Tomkova
Наведений нижче короткий звіт містить основні висновки, отримані за результатами експертного опит... more Наведений нижче короткий звіт містить основні висновки, отримані за результатами експертного опитування та шести фокус-групових дискусій у Києві. Сумарно, ці дві ініціативи поєднують погляди 400 українських експертів та ключових зацікавлених сторін, 313 з яких взяли участь в опитуванні та 87 у шести фокус-групових дискусіях. З аналітичною метою ми запитували: i) як розуміють і визначають е-демократію різні зацікавлені сторони та експерти; ii) які зараз на
практиці сильні та слабкі сторони у втіленні еДемократії в Україні; iii) які ключові рекомендації залучених сторін щодо інституційної відповідальності, майбутньої політики та напрямків втілення. Ми сподіваємося, що ці результати будуть
інформативними дороговказами у майбутнє всеохопне творення політики та дослідження цієї нової тематики в Україні.
Динамічна демократична система містить «меню», або низку інструментів, які можуть активно викорис... more Динамічна демократична система містить «меню», або низку інструментів, які можуть активно використовувати громадяни, організації громадянського суспільства та органи державної влади для впливу на політичне життя. Зі зростанням швидкості ІТ і соціальних інновацій, все ширший діапазон інформаційних комунікаційних технологій (ІКТ), наявний для посилення демократичних процесів, не може бути виключеним із такого меню. Перший випуск аналітичних записок з ефективного е-урядування, за вересень 2016 року, був присвячений аспектам законодавства і державної політики щодо е-демократії в Україні. У цьому другому випуску ми розглядаємо саме впровадження е-демократії. Зокрема, ми вивчаємо роль інструментів е-демократії, як вони використовуються, і як вони можуть стало збагатити демократичність політичної системи України.
Other Publications by Jordanka Tomkova
This report primarily summarises key findings from the online expert survey and the six Kiev-base... more This report primarily summarises key findings from the online expert survey and the six Kiev-based focus group discussions. Jointly, the two initiatives incorporate the views of 400 Ukrainian experts and key stakeholders, 313 of whom participated in the survey and 87 in the six focus group discussions. As part of our analysis, we asked: i) how is eDemocracy defined and what it means to different stakeholders and experts, ii) what is the current status - strengths and limitations - of eDemocracy in practice in Ukraine, and iii) what are the stakeholders’ key recommendations in regards to institutional responsibilities, future policy and implementation directions. We hope that findings in this report will be informative stepping stones toward future, comprehensive policy making and research on this emerging topic in Ukraine.
Papers by Jordanka Tomkova
Since the 1990s, public institutions have been increasingly reaching into democracy's toolbo... more Since the 1990s, public institutions have been increasingly reaching into democracy's toolbox for new tools with which to better engage citizens in politics. Applied uses of new information communication technologies (ICTs), namely the Internet, are expanding the range of instruments within the toolbox. E-consultations are emerging as a popular e-participation practice for advancing civic engagement in public policy making. This paper critically evaluates how and to what effect political institutions employ e-consultations to bring about deliberative and participatory capital. Existing evidence suggests that though e-consultations provide new opportunities for the formation of new interactive spaces between citizens and political actors and promote cost effectiveness, their impact on the quality of deliberation and policies, however, has been less conclusive (Margolis and Resnick 2000; Coleman and Gøtze 2001). Observers note that outcomes of e-consultation initiatives have been...
European Union institutions have been notoriously criticized for their lack of day-today linkage ... more European Union institutions have been notoriously criticized for their lack of day-today linkage with European citizenry. The European Parliament as the only directly elected EU institution is logically one of the 'closest' linkage institutions to the European electorate. However, little is known about how its representatives-Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)-connect, service and cultivate relations with their 'home' constituencies and citizens between two elections points. This thesis attempts to fill in this missing link. Using original data from the author's self-administered 2009 MEP survey (N=145), this thesis empirically traces MEPs' constituency orientations at three levels. It first addresses the attitudinal dimensions of MEPs' constituency orientations-how they think about their constituencies, the importance they attach but also the types of activities they pursue as part of their constituency work. Secondly, as ICTs and the Internet permeate the contemporary reality, in addition to assessing MEPs' conventional constituency outreach offline, the thesis also evaluates how MEPs incorporate ICTs and the Internet in their constituency work. In other words, the second research question addresses how MEPs conduct their constituency outreach online. Could it be that the various interactive, transactional and asynchronous benefits offered by the online platform prompt MEPs to replace their conventional physical, offline, constituency offices with their websites, blogs and/or social networking sites and use them as quasi virtual constituency offices? Lastly, given that a fair degree of variation was expected in MEPs' constituency outreach and orientations both off and online, the third level examines the determinants of MEPs' constituency outreach. The thesis' findings d e m o n s t r a t e that in s pit e th e low institutional and electoral incentives for MEPs to engage in constituency work and outreach, MEPs conduct a wide range of constituency outreach activities both offline and online. Moreover, citizens regularly contact MEPs and request them for diverse forms of assistance. A fair volume of trans-border or pan-European interactions between MEPs and citizens that do not necessarily come from the same electoral (national) constituency was also observed. In the aggregate, however, majority of MEPs still show to prioritize their legislative activities over constituency work. As to MEPs' constituency outreach online, the findings in this thesis suggest that while ICTs and the online platform provide various new outreach and communication capacities for MEPs, overall, they are not replacing but rather reinforcing MEPs' conventional offline constituency outreach. Hence based on the evidence found, it is premature to conclude that the 'virtual constituency office' is replacing MEPs' conventional constituency outreach and offices offline.
European Union institutions have been notoriously criticized for their lack of day-today linkage ... more European Union institutions have been notoriously criticized for their lack of day-today linkage with European citizenry. The European Parliament as the only directly elected EU institution is logically one of the 'closest' linkage institutions to the European electorate. However, little is known about how its representatives-Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)-connect, service and cultivate relations with their 'home' constituencies and citizens between two elections points. This thesis attempts to fill in this missing link. Using original data from the author's self-administered 2009 MEP survey (N=145), this thesis empirically traces MEPs' constituency orientations at three levels. It first addresses the attitudinal dimensions of MEPs' constituency orientations-how they think about their constituencies, the importance they attach but also the types of activities they pursue as part of their constituency work. Secondly, as ICTs and the Internet permeate the contemporary reality, in addition to assessing MEPs' conventional constituency outreach offline, the thesis also evaluates how MEPs incorporate ICTs and the Internet in their constituency work. In other words, the second research question addresses how MEPs conduct their constituency outreach online. Could it be that the various interactive, transactional and asynchronous benefits offered by the online platform prompt MEPs to replace their conventional physical, offline, constituency offices with their websites, blogs and/or social networking sites and use them as quasi virtual constituency offices? Lastly, given that a fair degree of variation was expected in MEPs' constituency outreach and orientations both off and online, the third level examines the determinants of MEPs' constituency outreach. The thesis' findings d e m o n s t r a t e that in s pit e th e low institutional and electoral incentives for MEPs to engage in constituency work and outreach, MEPs conduct a wide range of constituency outreach activities both offline and online. Moreover, citizens regularly contact MEPs and request them for diverse forms of assistance. A fair volume of trans-border or pan-European interactions between MEPs and citizens that do not necessarily come from the same electoral (national) constituency was also observed. In the aggregate, however, majority of MEPs still show to prioritize their legislative activities over constituency work. As to MEPs' constituency outreach online, the findings in this thesis suggest that while ICTs and the online platform provide various new outreach and communication capacities for MEPs, overall, they are not replacing but rather reinforcing MEPs' conventional offline constituency outreach. Hence based on the evidence found, it is premature to conclude that the 'virtual constituency office' is replacing MEPs' conventional constituency outreach and offices offline.
Uploads
Other Publications (in Ukrainian) by Jordanka Tomkova
практиці сильні та слабкі сторони у втіленні еДемократії в Україні; iii) які ключові рекомендації залучених сторін щодо інституційної відповідальності, майбутньої політики та напрямків втілення. Ми сподіваємося, що ці результати будуть
інформативними дороговказами у майбутнє всеохопне творення політики та дослідження цієї нової тематики в Україні.
Other Publications by Jordanka Tomkova
Papers by Jordanka Tomkova
практиці сильні та слабкі сторони у втіленні еДемократії в Україні; iii) які ключові рекомендації залучених сторін щодо інституційної відповідальності, майбутньої політики та напрямків втілення. Ми сподіваємося, що ці результати будуть
інформативними дороговказами у майбутнє всеохопне творення політики та дослідження цієї нової тематики в Україні.