The Do It Yourself State

Bibliographic Data

ID6149283
AuthorsAlbert Meijer (0009-0004-3329-9624, corresponding author), Albert J Meijer (0000-0001-8532-7894, Utrecht University, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume17
Issue3,4
Pages303-314
Publication date2012-12-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInformation Polity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1875-8754 • E-ISSN: 1570-1255
PublisherIOS Press (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.3233/ip-2012-000283
OpenAlexW1491418068
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited32

This paper starts with the observation that liberal and discursive perspectives have been dominant in academic analyses of the role of technology in the future of democracy. The perspective of democracy as a participatory practice is largely ignored by academic investigations of electronic democracy. This paper argues that new technologies increasingly enable citizens to organize their own forms of public value production in a Do It Yourself (DIY) State: governance without government. The DIY State should not be seen as utopia. Although the DIY State may reflect the hippy ideal of a supportive community, it could also take the form of a 'jungle' where only the fittest survive. A further understanding of this form of democracy, of the way it is affected by new technologies, and of the remaining role for government, is needed to inform public debate and practices

Political science · Programming language · State (computer science · Computer Science · E-Government and Public Services · Open Source Software Innovations · Social Media and Politics

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