From the Ground up to the Top Down: Local E-Democracy in the UK

Robertson H¹*

1. Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Kingston upon Thames, UK

E-democracy activities can be described as being either top down or ground (or bottom) up which distinguishes the difference between government driven and community or independently instigated e-democracy activities.

This raises the question of which is the most effective, the ‘best’ or the ‘right’ e-democracy approach. This discussion is particularly relevant at a local level where majority of community-driven activity is initiated.

This paper will look at the differences between both approaches from a local perspective, by reviewing examples of ground up and top down approaches in the UK. It will also suggest ways that the two approaches can support each other and work together to the end benefit of the local citizen.