数字协商民主:可能性、风险及其规制

Digital Deliberative Democracy:Possibilities,Risks and Regulations

信息、互联网和数字技术的发展使数字协商民主在现实中成为可能。这种可能性既是由技术发展所提供的,也是实践经验所累积的,更是制度建构路径所赋予的。但是,技术的变化性和民主形式的稳定性,实践的差别性和民主价值的原则性,程序的规范性与民主创新的探索性之间的内在紧张关系,使数字协商民主的理论思考、制度设计和实践运转依然面临诸多挑战,例如技术普及的条件下平等是否是自然可得的?技术即时可达条件下是否能够实现广泛参与?数字协商过程中的民意表达会不会出现失真与扭曲?充分信息条件下是否必然做出科学决策?技术提高效率的同时是否当然能够维护公平?数字协商民主是否能够实现治理效能提升?数字协商民主面临的挑战既需要从理论上加以解决,也需要在制度设计上实现突破,同时还需要在实践中鼓励更多差异性的创新探索。由此,才能够在不断地改变社会生活实际和被社会生活实际所改变的过程中,实现协商民主的开放式发展。

The development of information, the Internet and digital technologies has made digital deliberative democracy possible in reality. In addition to the technological development, it is made possible by the practical experience accumulation and the institutional construction. However, due to the inherent tension between the variability of technology and the stability of democratic forms, between the difference in practice and the principled stance of democratic values, between the normative nature of procedures and the exploratory nature of democratic innovation, the theoretical thinking, institutional design and practical operation of digital deliberative democracy still face many challenges. For example, is equality naturally available under the condition of popularization of technology? Is it possible to achieve broad participation under the condition of instant accessibility of technology? Will the public opinion be distorted in the process of digital negotiation? Does it necessarily lead to scientific decision-making under the condition of sufficient information? Can technology improve efficiency while maintaining fairness? Can digital deliberative democracy improve governance efficiency? The challenges faced by digital deliberative democracy need to be dealt with both theoretically and institutionally. It is also necessary to encourage more differentiated innovation and exploration in practice. Only in this way can we realize a more open development of deliberative democracy in the process of constantly shaping and being shaped by the reality of social life.