De informatierevolutie. Gevolgen voor politiek en burger

Samenvatting

The Information Revolution. Consequences for Policy and Citizens. The information revolution is indeed a revolution, because of its pace and its all-encompassing and global character. The economy will undergo many structural changes. The separation between household and work will become blurred, as it was in the preindustrial era. Although communication is becoming faster, cheaper, and easier, governments seem to be losing touch with their citizens. Institutions are under pressure because of the emergence of new and constantly changing networks of people and organizations. The old laws, regulations, and government policies no longer match a network society with empowered citizens whose identities are not as clear-cut as they were some decades ago. At the same time governmental and nongovernmental organizations and one-issue networks of citizens are becoming more influential. Because time and distance are becoming less relevant, the importance of the nation state is decreasing. The powers of national government are also diminishing owing to the many European laws and regulations. Restoring the relations between government and citizens requires more than improving service levels or consulting citizens via the Internet. Rather than continuing top-down governance, the government needs to encourage citizens in the information society to take responsibilities themselves. 55 References. Adapted from the source document.