Engaging the Public Through Information Communication Technologies and the Internet

European parliaments are now expected to actively reach out to the public (Leston-Bandeira, 2016) and in fact, many have recently developed tools to support a deepening of public engagement with parliament, internet channels in particular (Hansard Society, 2011; IPU, 2012 Leston-Bandeira, 2013). However, scholarship focusing on the parliament-citizen relationship (Norton, 2005) is still rare, and although the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) by representatives is now well documented (Coleman 2001; Polat 2005; Auty 2005; Tenscher 2014), the study of how parliaments are using those mechanisms is still in its infancy. Furthermore, the few previous studies on the topic include some gaps: most of the analysis takes a public administration or democratic governance perspective, leaving out a parliamentary perspective. In addition, the literature focuses almost exclusively on the Anglo-Saxon and northern European countries, leaving out many other cases (Leston-Bandeira and Ward, 2008). Hence, this paper aims to develop a comprehensive and updated picture of how European parliaments are using ICT and the internet to promote public engagement with parliament on five dimensions: 1) information on parliament, history, and culture; 2) information on legislation, oversight activities, and international affairs; 3) communication and outreach; 4) consultation; and 5) participation. These dimensions try to measure the provision of both ‘top down’ information and bottom up channels of communication and participation for citizens engaging in parliamentary activities. To this end, this study relies on a vast original dataset that includes detailed information on not only the elements and features present in the websites of the lower chambers of 21 European countries but also the usability of these elements and features on the websites. The latter kind of data is particularly important and innovative, since usability is considered a fundamental property for the success of any website (Rizzo & Carughi, 2006). It has also been absent from related scholarship, which has not privileged the evaluation of content usability and the quality, accuracy, or even depth of the information provided. The results suggest that most parliaments are using the internet more as a top-down channel to provide information and communication and less as a two-way platform to encourage interaction, discussion, and public participation in parliamentary activities. However, results also show the existence of some democratic innovations developed to enhance scrutiny and interaction with citizens that are worth a deeper understanding, namely in the UK, Austria, Denmark, and Croatia.