Online Activity of Deputies and Public Policy Effectiveness: Moscow Local Authorities’ Case

P. 348–360.

Nikiporets-Takigawa G., Popova O., Kazanin V.

The paper discusses the growing potential of the social networks to get transparency of the political process which is enhanced through the trans-formation of one-way broadcasting into the interactive communication and involvement of the citizens to the policy making, and then assess the practice of this communication and involvement based on the mapping of the usage of the social networks for the communication of the deputies of the local authorities of the sixteen districts of the largest Moscow okrug with the local citizens. The methodology of the study comprises the assessment of the political communication of the deputies in social networks based on three factors: coverage, activeness and involvement. In view of the worldwide practice, theoretical premises and the up to date Russian legislation we qualify the online professional behavior of the local authorities representatives as violation of the regulation and the effective public policy. Finally, recommendations how to deal with the low level of the online activity of the politicians in view of the effective public policy making are offered.

Keywords: social networks, public policy, information technology, public sphere, political process, local self government

In book

Electronic Governance and Open Society: Challenges in Eurasia: 5th International Conference, EGOSE 2018, St. Petersburg, Russia, November 14-16, 2018, Revised Selected Papers

Switzerland: Springer, 2019.