A tale of two consultations: online participatory practices in Brazil

Abstract

When it comes to ICT-mediated governance participation in Brazil, Internet penetration still remains a major challenge, with only around half of homes having connectivity. Opportunities to influence public policy frameworks and government strategies through the Internet, or even through offline interaction, are limited. A worsening of the political and economic situation, and the lack of strong institutionalisation of direct participation have contributed to the decline of participation initiatives in Brazil. This paper gives an overview of the state of ICT-mediated citizen participation in Brazil. It looks at two online consultation processes, Marco da Civil Internet and Copyright Reform, initiated by the government to understand the impact of citizen participation through technology on governance in Brazil.