Democratic Disruption or Continuity? Analysis of the Decidim Platform in 11 Catalan Municipalities

This paper analyzes the adoption and deployment of the Decidim platform in the 11 Catalan municipalities that have been pioneers in its use. Through the analysis of the digital content of the platform and in-depth interviews with municipal officials, the research focuses on three issues: i) differences in the use of the platform between municipalities, ii) the reasons and context that bring to adopt the platform as a space for the digitalization of participatory processes, and, finally, iii) the factors and obstacles that explain the different developments of the platform. The research shows the disruptions introduced by new digital platforms in local public administrations due to their potential for autonomous citizen participation and deliberation. In this way, we contribute to the debate about the models of digital government and how new technologies can help to achieve public policies more in line with citizens' preferences.