Description
Democratic Innovations for a Polarized Digital SocietyDigital technologies and social media platforms are reshaping how people communicate, share opinions, and engage with public issues. Every day, millions of users click, comment, like, and share content across multiple platforms. These tools offer new opportunities for civic engagement, but also expose people to like-minded views curated by algorithms, reinforcing bias and opinion polarization. Risks such as misinformation, deepfakes, cyberbullying, and digital divides further complicate inclusive participation.
However, focusing solely on technology risk overlooks deeper structural issues in society, politics, and governance (Bruns, 2021). In response, democratic innovations such as citizens’ assemblies, deliberative mini-publics, referenda, and participatory budgeting are being redesigned to address the challenges of a fragmented and polarized society. Increasingly, these models combine online and offline formats or blend deliberative and plebiscitary approaches for effective decision-making. Key questions remain—can these efforts genuinely bridge divides, empower civil society, and influence decision-making?
This Special Issue seeks contributions exploring how democratic innovations are adapted, tested, and reimagined in different contexts. Submissions may be theoretical, practical, or methodological, and may address either digital or offline environments. Studies examining conflict, division, or social fragmentation are also welcome.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
Conceptual and theoretical studies
- Democratic innovations and related concepts (e.g., deliberation, resilience, digital activism, collective intelligence, social capital)
- Literature reviews on emerging themes
Empirical research
- Case studies using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods
- Hybrid models (e.g., online–offline formats, deliberative and plebiscitary approaches)
Digital dynamics and challenges
- The role of artificial intelligence, disinformation, and polarization on civic engagement
- Organizational capacity to facilitate citizen participation
Evaluation and methodology
- Evaluations of democratic innovations
- Methodological innovations for studying these phenomena
| Period | 13 Aug 2025 → 31 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Type of journal | Journal |
| ISSN | 2075-4698 |
| Degree of Recognition | International |