Reconsidering the analysis of the uses of ICTs by political parties : an application to the Catalan case

Abstract

For years a literature on the uses that political parties make of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has been developed. It is a rapidly increasing, rich, and interesting field in the forefront of the investigation in political science. Generally, these works start from the expectation that the ICTs have a regenerative potential for liberal democracies and for the political parties as well. In developed societies, political parties have experienced some transformations that have leaded them to an increasing divorce with the public. This divorce is shown by the decay of party adscription and membership, and also by the decay of the conventional political participation. In the theoretical discussion this situation has been described as ¿the crisis of the democracy¿ (Norris, 1999). According to the more radically oriented scholars this crisis reflects the incapacities of liberal democracies. In this sense, ICTs suppose a great opportunity to surpass the representative institutions and to institutionalize new forms of direct democracy. More moderate scholars have considered that ICTs offer the opportunity for ¿renaissance¿ for representative institutions, as they can reinforce the bonds between the public and its representatives.