Liąuid democracy

Abstract

The advancements in new communication techniques facilitate the political participation of all citizens wishing to exercise it. Various ideas applied by the new media are conducive to the development of civic society and deliberative democracy. The end of the monopoly of traditional, or mainstream media allows altemative discourses to emerge, having formerly been denied presence in the media. Various groups can also emerge to finally participate in public debate. As participation in debate is conditioned on interactivity, the Internet and various platforms serving debating and decision-making are increasingly applied by both businesses and State institutions. Liquid democracy is a way of combining direct democracy with represeiitative democracy. Applications allowing citizens to initiate, track and participate in debate facilitate maximum citizen involvement in public affairs. Therefore, liquid democracy provides an opportunity to implement the ideał of each citizen’s actual participation in the decision- making processes, the lack of which is frequently cited by young people, first and foremost, who feel discouraged from participating in elections. They do not undermine the idea of democracy but contest its current shape and form.