| The Digital Commons is a virtual construct where knowledge and ideas can be exchanged and where dialogue and deliberation flourish. Drawing on this concept, this work explores the impact of new information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, on the relationship between Members of the Canadian House of Commons and their constituents. It questions whether the technology has increased, or has the potential to increase, democratic participation. Models and theories of e-governance and e-democracy are used to develop a multi-method research design, which includes interviews with Members of Parliament and an analysis of the content found on their websites.;Ultimately, it is shown that new technologies have led to some changes in the Canadian political environment. Members of Parliament are experiencing an increase in correspondence as a result of email; they are better connected with their staff and have increased access to information; and there have been some experiments with online consultations. However, it is concluded that we are far from realizing the participatory ideal embodied by the concept of the Digital Commons. Lack of resources, political will, and the contradictions inherent in the use of the technology, have led to a renewal, or strengthening, of the traditional role of representatives as champion of constituent's interests. The two groups have not come together in the type of participatory interactive relationship that proponents of the Digital Commons thought technology would achieve.;By examining the impact of information and communication technologies on the relationship between representatives and their constituents, this work fills a gap in the literature on e-governance and e-democracy. Much of the existing literature focuses on citizen's use of technology without exploring how representatives are responding or use the same technologies. Moreover, many of the existing studies regarding the Canadian situation have been focused primarily on service delivery; the idea of democratic participation has been cursory to the discussions. |
