Internet Politics and Digital Divide Issues: The Rising of a New Electronic Aristocrats and Electronic Meticians

Abstract

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) from the beginning of 1990 until today has brought important changes on function and structure of both public sector and governments. Within the framework of application and use of e-democracy, new technologies enhance the citizens’ democratic participation in public affairs, by using e-voting, e-ballot, while by using e-mail, citizens can develop and consolidate the digital Ancient Agora by exchanging their views with each other or with the elected representatives. Information systems and Internet is today a powerful tool for governments and citizens aiming at the collective decision-making and the reduction of democracy shortcoming. This paper conclude that the access impossibility of citizens to digital democracy services, in the form of digital divide, can be easily compared with the right of vote in Ancient Athens, a right that only privileged citizens had.