Operationalising e-Democracy through a System Engineering Approach in Mauritius and Australia

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Frontmatter

2. Chapter 1. Introduction: Representation as a Case for Upgrade

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   The question of a democratic deficit in Mauritius and reflections on how it might be addressed were the prompt for undertaking this book. In Mauritius, the seeming regularity of corruption scandals suggests that there is a growing democratic deficit (Transparency Mauritius in Corruption Perception Index 2013. Transparency Mauritius, Port Louis, Mauritius, 2013; Corruption Perception Index 2015. Transparency Mauritius Organisation, Port Louis, Mauritius, 2015, Corruption Perception Index 2016. Transparency Mauritius Organisation, Port Louis, Mauritius, 2017). This is not uncommon in many contemporary democracies even Australia, where concerns about a democratic deficit have been noted for some time (Zweifel in Democratic Deficit? Institutions and Regulation in the European Union, Switzerland, and the United States. Lexington Books, Lanham, MD, 2002; White and Nevitte in Imperfect Democracies the Democratic Deficit in Canada and the United States. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver and Toronto, 2012; Ward in European Union Democratic Deficit and the Public Sphere. IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2002; Norris in Euro J Polit Res 32:273–282, 1997; Democratic Deficit: Critical Citizens Revisited. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2011; Imperfect Democracies: The Democratic Deficit in Canada and the United States. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver and Toronto 2012; Beetham in Imperfect Democracies the Democratic Deficit in Canada and the United States. UBC Press, Vancouver and Toronto, 2012). For present purposes, the idea of a democratic deficit can be understood as a perceived gap between what democratic institutions purport to be about and what they actually do.

3. Chapter 2. The Idea of Democracy in Theory and Practice

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   ‘Out of the dark and from very long ago has come a word’ (Dunn 2005: 10), a disruptive word called democracy to describe a form of government that gave the demos, or the people, sovereign power in its originating city-state, Athens. Citizens could (indeed were expected to) represent themselves regardless of their wealth or class (Held 2006: 14). This was a radical departure from earlier forms of government in the ancient Greek world as democracy, as understood at the time, empowered the ordinary citizens to participate in their own rule, effectively citizens of the ancient democracies were both rulers and ruled.

4. Chapter 3. E-Democracy

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   Proponents of e-democracy suggest that it will empower citizens politically and allow them to participate directly in government decision making.

5. Chapter 4. Systems Theory in Politics

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   A systems approach as a grand theory has been attempted in political science prior to the advent of the ICTs technology.

6. Chapter 5. Understanding Systems Engineering

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   SE is a structured process where staged decision making occurs around an end user’s need to deliver technical solutions. SE is understood as an engineering discipline whose design approach applies systems thinking to combine interdisciplinary fields’ activities in a purposive manner to build a system (solution)

7. Chapter 6. Applying Systems Engineering to Create an E-Democracy

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   This chapter takes up the task of bringing the thought experiment to fruition, of discussing how SE can be applied in a political context to develop a workable e-democracy. The approach thus far has combined experience and knowledge from engineering and system theory with the aim of addressing successfully some of the problems with representative democracy discussed in Chapter 2. The argument is that SE is capable of delivering a technical system that can enable people’s rule. This chapter draws on the SE principles identified in the previous chapter and thinks through how it might be applied to an existing representative democracy, what might be termed as a ‘legacy system’, to produce an e-democracy. The FCI and CI concepts are adapted to a hypothetical e-democracy design in the context of creating an operational e-democracy.

8. Chapter 7. A System-Engineered Approach to E-Democracy: A Small Island Mauritius

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   As part of the analysis developed for the book, the question was of how might a Systems Engineering (SE) approach work in practice. As it happened, in doing background research on Mauritius and its political institutions, it emerged that Mauritius had a number of institutions that could lend themselves to implementing a SE approach. In particular, the SE feature of a Functional Configuration Item (FCI) had an analogue in the Mauritian political system, namely the National Development Unit (NDU). This presented an opportunity to use Mauritius as a type of proof of concept with which to test the possibility that a SE approach might work in Mauritius, or at least enable a rethinking of the architecture of Mauritian political institutions in a more democratic direction. This also involved conducting a series of interviews with key Mauritian politicians (across the political spectrum) and bureaucrats.

9. Chapter 8. Upgrading Mauritius a Legacy Political System

   Soobhiraj Bungsraz

   Abstract

   The issue of ongoing corruption in Mauritius brought to my attention that as an engineer from my experience the political system could be improved using Systems Engineering (SE) and technology. With the advent of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), a significant scholarship on e-democracy emerged promising to fix representative democracy with more direct input from citizens (Grönlund in Commun ACM 44:22–26, 2001).

10. Chapter 9. A System Engineered Approach to E-Democracy: A What If for Australia

    Soobhiraj Bungsraz

    Abstract

    Australia aims to be a progressive country, and representative democracy development in the Australian context creates its own paradigm about democracy, its politicians’ rhetoric is that the political system must be fair. However, democracy’s application by the different actors who rule remains subject to public emotions as democracy is an essentially contested concept. In the Australian context due to factional power struggles to rule democracy’s evolution has led to instability within the government.

11. Backmatter