Spotlight: Translating online energy into institutional power in Brazil
/Spotlight: Translating online energy into institutional power in Brazil
Centuries-old political institutions and new internet platforms don't always fit together seamlessly. To help bridge this gap, the Brazilian parliament's innovation team enlisted 200 of the body’s legislative advisors. These advisors help ensure that online participation feeds into the parliament's analog operations. For example, a rapporteur helps determine whether citizens' digitally delivered input is incorporated into a bill's final text. Although it's not direct democracy, these intermediaries help transfer online public engagement to offline institutions.