The role of social networking services in eParticipation

Published version of a chapter published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 5694, 46-55. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03781-8_5 A serious problem in eParticipation projects is citizen engagement – citizens do not necessarily become more willing to participate simply because net-services are provided for them. Most forms of eParticipation in democratic contexts are, however, dependent on citizen engagement, interaction and social networking because democratic systems favour the interests of larger groups of citizens – the more voices behind a political proposition, the greater its chances of success. In this context of challenges the study of s…