Chapter 9: Politics
Through open access, Willinsky contends that citizens and journalists would also have access to political policies; as a result, more citizens of the world could participate in politics in an informed way. Willinsky includes a description of the Public Knowledge Policy Forum that occurred in Canada in the 1990s to explicate how “informed deliberation” by the public is possible through open access on the Internet. Some of the problems Willinsky addresses include a sense by the participants that the government was not listening to the forum and that discussions were essentially like “talking to a dead telephone” (129), the participation of individuals who did not take time to read relevant materials regarding specific issues being discussed discouraged participants who were more knowledgeable, and a lack of participation by Ministry officials did not convince participants that the forum was being read by government officials.
In conclusion, Willinsky argues that “more thought needs to be given to how these new systems might serve concerned and interested citizens, policy makers, and practitioners” so that that the public can utilize open access to make informed democratic contributions.