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The Open Parliament in the Age of the Internet http://bd.camara.leg.br “Dissemina os documentos digitais de interesse da atividade legislativa e da sociedade.” Is the co-existence of participatory Can the people now collaborate with legislatures in lawmaking? The open parliament in the age of internet and deliberative actions with the exercise of parliamentary office really feasible? In what way has Information and Communication Technology fostered interaction between Chamber of parliamentary representatives and Deputies society at large in the daily round of legislative activities? Are we drawing closer to a DO LEGISLATIVO The open parliament in the age TEMAS DE INTERESSE hybrid system of representative and participatory democracy through the incorporation of of the internet Cristiano Ferri Soares de Faria effective ways of co-producing holds a Doctorate in Sociology laws into legislative agendas? from the Social and Political This work seeks to address Can the people now collaborate with Studies Institute of the Rio those questions and evaluate de Janeiro State University, a other international experiences legislatures in lawmaking? Masters in Public Policies from and experiments designed to London University’s Queen achieve the same ends. The Mary College, and is an associate book is based on a study of Cristiano Ferri Soares de Faria researcher of the University two particular cases where of Harvard’s Ash Center for parliamentary bodies designed Democratic Governance and and implemented participatory Innovation. He also has a digital processes, namely, the specialization in Legal Order e-Democracy Program developed from the Higher School of the by the Brazilian House of Office of the Public Prosecutor Representatives, and the Virtual of the Federal District and Senator Program developed Territories and another in by the Chilean Senate. The Parliamentary Advisory Services text unfolds in the form of a and Executive Relations from the systematic analysis of institutional University of Brasilia, which is aspects embracing political and where he originally obtained his organizational elements as well as Law Degree. In his professional the social aspects associated to the life he has been a civil servant application of digital democracy attached to the Brazilian House in parliaments. of Representatives since 1993 The investigation shows that at during which time he has the stage they found themselves held several posts in various in 2010 those projects had bodies under the aegis of the only brought in very incipient House administration. Since results in regard to the aspects 2005 he has been coordinating of enhancing representativity a series of projects in the field in decision making processes, of legislative quality and aggregating collective intelligence electronic democracy and was to the legislative process or the idealizer and administrator transparency to parliamentary of the e-Democracy performances, even though all of (e-Democracia) project; the House those are precious components of Representative’s digital of any democracy that deems participation project. itself to be participatory and deliberative. Nevertheless, such experiences have had the merit of contributing towards the gradual construction of more effective Brasília | 2013 participatory mechanisms, complementary to the political representation system in place. capa_the open parliament.indd 1 23/04/2013 12:08:26 Is the co-existence of participatory and deliberative actions with the exercise of parliamentary office really feasible? In what way has Information and Communication Technology fostered interaction between parliamentary representatives and society at large in the daily round of legislative activities? Are we drawing closer to a hybrid system of representative and participatory democracy Cristiano Ferri Soares de Faria through the incorporation of holds a Doctorate in Sociology effective ways of co-producing from the Social and Political laws into legislative agendas? Studies Institute of the Rio This work seeks to address de Janeiro State University, a those questions and evaluate Masters in Public Policies from other international experiences London University’s Queen and experiments designed to Mary College, and is an associate achieve the same ends. The researcher of the University book is based on a study of of Harvard’s Ash Center for two particular cases where Democratic Governance and parliamentary bodies designed Innovation. He also has a and implemented participatory specialization in Legal Order digital processes, namely, the from the Higher School of the e-Democracy Program developed Office of the Public Prosecutor by the Brazilian House of of the Federal District and Representatives, and the Virtual Territories and another in Senator Program developed Parliamentary Advisory Services by the Chilean Senate. The and Executive Relations from the text unfolds in the form of a University of Brasilia, which is systematic analysis of institutional where he originally obtained his aspects embracing political and Law Degree. In his professional organizational elements as well as life he has been a civil servant the social aspects associated to the attached to the Brazilian House application of digital democracy of Representatives since 1993 in parliaments. during which time he has The investigation shows that at held several posts in various the stage they found themselves bodies under the aegis of the in 2010 those projects had House administration. Since only brought in very incipient 2005 he has been coordinating results in regard to the aspects a series of projects in the field of enhancing representativity of legislative quality and in decision making processes, electronic democracy and was aggregating collective intelligence the idealizer and administrator to the legislative process or of the e-Democracy transparency to parliamentary (e-Democracia) project; the House performances, even though all of of Representative’s digital those are precious components participation project. of any democracy that deems itself to be participatory and deliberative. Nevertheless, such experiences have had the merit of contributing towards the gradual construction of more effective participatory mechanisms, complementary to the political representation system in place. capa_the open parliament.indd 1 23/04/2013 12:10:35 The open parliament in the age of the internet Can the people now collaborate with legislatures in lawmaking? CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES 54th Legislature – 2011-2015 3rd Legislative Session President (Speaker) Henrique Eduardo Alves 1st Vice-president André Vargas 2nd Vice-president Fábio Faria 1st Secretary Márcio Bittar 2nd Secretary Simão Sessim 3rd Secretary Maurício Quintella Lessa 4th Secretary Biffi 1st Vice-secretary Gonzaga Patriota 2nd Vice-secretary Wolney Queiroz 3rd Vice-secretary Vitor Penido 4th Vice-secretary Takayama Director General Sérgio Sampaio Contreiras de Almeida Secretary General of the Governing Board Mozart Vianna de Paiva Chamber of Deputies The open parliament in the age of the internet Can the people now collaborate with legislatures in lawmaking? Cristiano Ferri Soares de Faria Translation: Martin Charles Nicholl Documentation and Information Center Edições Câmara Brasília – 2013 CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES LEGISLATIVE DIVISION Head: Afrísio Vieira Lima Filho DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION CENTER Head: Adolfo C. A. R. Furtado EDIÇÕES CÂMARA COORDINATION Head: Daniel Ventura Teixeira STANDING COMMITTEES DEPARTMENT Head: Sílvio Avelino da Silva Graphic Design Racsow Graphic Design Update Renata Homem Cover Alessandra Castro König Diagramming Diego Moscardini and Janaina Coe This translation was made with support from the Inter-American Development Bank’s Project “Connected Parliaments: Impact of New Technologies in the Transformation of the Legislative Branch” (RG-T1776). Original first published in Portuguese in 2011. Title: O parlamento aberto na era da internet: pode o povo colaborar com o Legislativo na elaboração das leis? Câmara dos Deputados Centro de Documentação e Informação – Cedi Coordenação Edições Câmara – Coedi Anexo II – Praça dos Três Poderes Brasília (DF) – CEP 70160-900 Phone: +55 +61 3216-5809; fax: +55 +61 3216-5810 [email protected] SÉRIE Temas de interesse do Legislativo n. 21 Dados Internacionais de Catalogação-na-publicação (CIP) Coordenação de Biblioteca. Seção de Catalogação. Faria, Cristiano Ferri Soares de. The open parliament in the age of the Internet : can the people now collaborate with legislatures in lawmaking? / Cristiano Ferri Soares de Faria ; translation: Martin Charles Nicholl [recurso eletrônico]. – Brasília : Câmara dos Deputados, Edições Câmara, 2013. 352 p. – (Série temas de interesse do Legislativo ; n. 21) ISBN 978-85-402-0050-0 1. Processo legislativo, participação social. 2. Participação política, estudo de caso, Brasil. 3. Parti- cipação política, estudo de caso, Chile. 4. Tecnologia da informação, aspectos sociais. 5. Democracia. I. Título. II. Série. CDU 323.2 ISBN 978-85-402-0049-4 (brochura) ISBN 978-85-402-0050-0 (e-book) Acknowledgements To Lalinka and my two boys, Natan and Ígor, the latter well on the way to making his first appearance, for showing me that love of knowledge, however important it may be, is secondary in my life. To my father, Cristovão, for his support in every sense of the word, for having taught me the love of knowledge and literature, for his exhaustive revision of my work and his constructive comments. To my mother, Sônia, for her unconditional love. To my tutor, José Maurício, for his constant
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