The development of digital technologies has opened new opportunities for political institutions to gather citizens’ voices and use them as a basis for formulating policy proposals. These opportunities include online surveys, the use of AI, and more generally crowdsourcing technologies. Crowdsourcing refers to processes in which "the dispersed knowledge of individuals and groups is leveraged to take advantage of bottom-up crowd-derived inputs and processes with efficient top-down engagement from organizations through IT, to solve problems, complete tasks or generate ideas" (Taeihagh, 2017). A notable example of crowdsourcing in political processes is the attempt to employ information and communication technology to directly involve the public in drafting the new Icelandic constitution in 2011. More successful cases include the use of the Pol.is algorithm in Taiwan, which enabled citizens to contribute their opinions to major societal debates, ultimately informing legislation on key issues such as the regulation of Uber and ethical guidelines for AI.
But can political parties also adopt such tools effectively? Although there is limited research both on the side of the application of crowdsourcing for policymaking and in the field of digital democratic innovations within political parties, some recent case studies provide insight. For instance, in 2018, the German far-left party Aufstehen, founded by Sahra Wagenknecht, utilized Pol.is to gather citizens’ opinions for informing its political agenda. More recently, the pan-European party Volt introduced EuroSense, a tool designed to capture the genuine concerns, passions, and experiences of individuals across Europe. These crowdsourcing mechanisms, however, raise significant questions. Is it truly democratic for a party's political direction to be shaped by an online consultation? Do these consultative processes provide real empowerment for party supporters, or are they merely symbolic, serving as tools for "participation washing" by party leaders? Can crowdsourcing technologies play a role in bridging the gap between citizens and institutions, potentially addressing the legitimacy crisis faced by political parties? Furthermore, how do these processes interact with and influence the power structures within political parties?
Drawing on interviews and document analysis, this paper explores the case study of Volte Europa’s Eurosense, I proposed a typology of digital crowdsourcing for political parties based on two dimensions: power redistribution and policy impact. This typology includes vertical, effective, horizontal, and democratic crowdsourcing. Then, I identify three key opportunities for political parties adopting this technology: enhanced democratic participation, increased flexibility, and improved accessibility. Conversely, I highlight three challenges: the tension between inclusion and exclusion, the risk of elite capture, and conflict between competing sources of democratic legitimacy. Finally, I outline some strategies for achieving a feasible democratic crowdsourcing.
Proposed panel - Panel 6. Party Digital Democratic Innovations
