Changing the argument for using civic technology

Date

3:20 pm—3:40 pm · June 11, 2025

Room

Auditorium / Livestreamed

The moral and ethical case for Pro-Democracy Technology has been made for many years. Despite decades of effort, little has changed. The argument that politicians must “do this because it’s the right thing to do” has not been successful. The rise of far-right populist parties across the world implores us to consider a different approach.

The moral and ethical case for Pro-Democracy Technology (PDT) has been made by practitioners and academics for many years. They argue that it is intrinsically important for tech-driven democratic innovation to be adopted and deployed by politicians and political professionals (P/PPs).

Despite decades of effort, little has changed. Many P/PPs do not engage with PDT, and many who do, do so in a performative manner. The cases where PDT has made a notable difference in the functioning of democracy are very rare. 

How can we dramatically increase the adoption and usage of PDT?  By focusing on the real-world tangible benefits P/PPs will derive through their use of PDT rather than on the theoretical and ethical case.

Discover the outcomes of Schwartz’s research and interviews with 80 European P/PPs and PDT suppliers — the first time such a large group had been surveyed.