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Contribution to Book
Democratic Deliberation in Online Consultation Forums: A Case Study of the Casino Debate in Singapore
Cases on Online Discussion and Interaction: Experiences and Outcomes
  • Kevin Y. Wang, Butler University
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
1-1-2010
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61520-863-0.ch014
Abstract

This chapter examines the extent to which the Internet can represent a place for negotiation, consensus building, and civic participation using Singapore’s online consultation portal and the debate over the decision to build the nation’s first casino resort as a case study. The structural design of the consultation portal and the entire content of a discussion thread with 508 posts were analyzed with a conceptual framework drawn from previous studies of democratic deliberation. Findings suggest that while the forum reflects some criteria for deliberation, the lack of transparency and government participation raises the question over the quality of the discourse and overall effectiveness of this online medium. Current challenges, recommendations, and directions for future research and development are discussed.

Rights
Version of record can be found through IGI Global.
Citation Information
Kevin Y. Wang. "Democratic Deliberation in Online Consultation Forums: A Case Study of the Casino Debate in Singapore" Cases on Online Discussion and Interaction: Experiences and Outcomes (2010) p. 263 - 281
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kevin-wang/2/