E-Democracy at the Transnational Level : Innovation and Disillusionment in Accountability's Second Wiki-Based Consultation Process

This article seeks to develop a better understanding of the limits and potential of the Internet to foster democratic processes by taking a closer look at a Wiki-based consultation process which was conducted by AccountAbility, a transnational NGO dealing with corporate responsibility and sustainable development, during 2009-2010. Theoretically, the article draws on nuanced approach to the question of the potential impact of ICTs on democratic processes, which steers away from technological determinism, and gives closer attention both to the micro details of the technological design and to the social dynamic in which e-democratic processes are embedded. This unique case study, which examines a real-life transnational e-democracy project, seeks to shed further light on the complex interaction between online and offline social interactions. Looking closely at a real political process could generate insights that may not be available in more controlled experiments. The article's first section offers some theoretical reflections and predictions regarding the use of wiki platforms to facilitate democratic deliberation. The second section examines the dynamic of AcconutAbility's consultation process. The empirical analysis includes a study of the Google analytics data-set of the Wiki's website and a survey of the Wiki potential participants. The final section concludes with a theoretical discussion exploring the future use of wikis in consultation processes and some policy recommendations