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FINAL - Politics

The document discusses several topics related to computers and politics, including: 1. The internet as a democratic forum for public participation and exchange of ideas, though issues of unequal access remain. 2. The concept of e-government and how information technologies can enable citizens to participate in political processes remotely. 3. Advantages and disadvantages of electronic voting systems compared to traditional paper-based voting methods. 4. Environmental problems related to computer hardware waste and strategies for more sustainable recycling and "green computing" practices.

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28 views17 pages

FINAL - Politics

The document discusses several topics related to computers and politics, including: 1. The internet as a democratic forum for public participation and exchange of ideas, though issues of unequal access remain. 2. The concept of e-government and how information technologies can enable citizens to participate in political processes remotely. 3. Advantages and disadvantages of electronic voting systems compared to traditional paper-based voting methods. 4. Environmental problems related to computer hardware waste and strategies for more sustainable recycling and "green computing" practices.

Uploaded by

trucious
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Computers and Politics

The Internet is an elite organisation; most of the


population of the world has never even made a
phone call. [Noam Chomsky]
Internet Democracy

The Internet is the


agora of the
information society.
Like the citizens of
the ancient Greek
polis who used the
agora to exchange
goods and ideas.
Internet Democracy

If democracy means ‘rule by


the people’—the political
system in which everyone
has power and participation
—the Internet could be
conceived as the best
realization of democracy—
the place where equality,
freedom, participation, and
interaction between users is
possible.
Arguments for …

1. Many-to-Many
Interaction
2. Information is
Power
3. More Power to
the Less
Powerful
Arguments against …

1. Democracy or
Anarchism?
2. Inequality of Access
3. Misinformation
4. Dehumanization
5. Westernization
Electronic Government

Electronic Government, or e-government, is


the use of information and
telecommunication technologies in political
processes (elections, voting, meeting
forums), governmental information (data
administration, criminal records, tax
collections, and missing persons), and
legislation (policy application and analysis).
Electronic Government

E-government
conceives citizens
as citizen nodes
who, within the
political decision
network, participate
in the development
of the community.
Electronic Government

E-government is
realised through
various communication
technologies, such as
the Internet,
telephones, mobile
phones, and SMS text
messaging.
Drawbacks …

E-government uses
technologies of surveillance,
such as CCTV cameras,
biometric identifications, and
identity cards, to improve
reliability and security in
public areas. However, ethical
questions arise concerning
citizens’ privacy (e.g., control
of personal data) and the
reliability of the systems (e.g.,
misidentification of criminals).
Electronic Voting

Electronic voting (or e-voting) involves all the


electronic and telecommunication means in order
to determine citizens’ collective intent. E-voting
systems are used in elections and Gallup polls.
Participants can vote via the Internet, telephones,
or kiosks. The authenticity of the voter is
established through optical scan ballots, digital
signatures, biometrics, or ID-password methods.
E-voting: Advantages
 saves voters and
governments time (i.e.,
people can vote at their own
convenience; the collection
of votes is faster);
 increases participation (i.e.,
people can vote from distant
and isolated areas); and
 saves governments money
(i.e., governments do not
employ extra election staff;
use less paper for ballots).
E-voting: Disadvantages
 Privacy: Is the anonymity of the voter secure? Is the
privacy of the votes protected by the system and
authorised staffs?
 Reliability: Does the system work properly during the
voting procedure? Is vote collection and counting
correct? Are election staffs and voters trained in the e-
voting procedures?
 Equality of Access: Can people with special needs
and the elderly access the system?
 Finance: Can citizens and governments afford e-voting
systems?
 Dehumanisation: Does e-voting diminish the human
factor and democratic participation?
Environmental Problems

Citizens and
governments worry
about the
environmental
problems related to
computers, including
energy consumption
and hardware
disposal.
Obsolete Computers

Obsolete computers
include hardware
components that
contain hazardous
substances and
radiation, such as
dioxide, platinum, toxic
phosphorus, mercury,
and heavy metals.
Solutions

 recycling hazardous components, especially with


help of waste-collection organisations;
 upgrading and not replacing old computers:
 donating old computers to schools, non-profit
organisation, or third-world countries;
 implementing specific laws concerning the disposal
and recycling of hazardous components; and
 following green computing practises: designing
hardware components with less hazardous
substances or radiation.
Green Computing
 Do not leave computers running continuously without reason;
 Do not turn on the printer until it is ready to print;
 Use screen saver programs (this saves the phosphorescent
coating on the inside of the CRT screen);
 Buy energy-efficient products (these have the Energy Star
logo);
 Recycle hazardous material, such as batteries and cartridges;
 Buy ecological, non-petroleum-based inks; and
 Reduce paper waste (minimise hard copies, recycle waste
paper, use e-mails instead of faxes, print on both sides of the
paper, buy recycled paper)
Paperless Society

A future paperless society is a


good solution towards a
number of environmental
issues concerning paper waste.
Currently, with the most
popular office automation tools,
users are able to prepare a soft
copy of documents presented
on the monitor before later
printing a hard copy. However,
some have estimated that we
actually print more documents
now than we did before,
because it is so easy to do.

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