What should Digital Technology do for Democracy? A Normative Approach to Evidence and Potential

There is a broad consensus that the legitimacy of modern democracies suffers from deficits in deliberative capacities. At the same time, there is an increasing recognition that democratic deficits need to be understood at a systemic level. In principle, the rapid development of digital technologies offers new opportunities in these respects. Yet in practice, the evidence for successful enhancement of deliberative capacities is unclear. So what should technology do for democracy? This paper starts by exploring some of the deliberative principles to which technological innovations should be oriented. We then assess the degree to which these principles have been achieved in recent technological innovations. The paper concludes by delineating a research agenda which has the potential to provide those interested in improving democracy through technology with robust and relevant findings.