Scientific and technological progress has penetrated practically into each area of social life not being limited to purchases on the Internet or cloud storage. Therefore, democracy as a concept is undergoing constant transformation under the influence of information technologies and acquires new features, forms, and qualities, such as electronic (digital) democracy. Well, what is this concept? How can society benefit from its implementation? What dangers does it pose to the State’s constitutional system and how can they be prevented?

This article aims at studying the essence of e-democracy as a phenomenon, at analyzing its pros and cons, and at modeling potential dangerous situations in the case of its implementation.

The main dilemma brought into focus by the study of this phenomenon is a radical change of the existing traditional democratic institutions – on the one part, and preservation of the constitutional order – on the other part. So, how a balance can be found between revolutionary changes and the fundamentals of Ukraine’s existence as a non-totalitarian State?

In today’s Ukraine, elements of the e-democracy concept are partially implemented in the form of e-governance: public registers, electronic administrative services, the possibility of submitting online petitions and appeals, and etc. A structural analysis of this concept demonstrates that the process of its implementation is possible with the following prerequisites available at the same time: 1) political maturity of the nation; 2) political will of the elite at the time of implementation; 3) technological capability. Absence of one of these conditions engenders risks to the existing constitutional system of the State.

Furthermore, we can assume that the potential threats to the constitutional system are dispersion of responsibility; flippant attitude of citizens to their duties and, thus, the paralysis of operation of the State mechanism; a threat of external interference; distortion of voting results. Hypothetically, this list is not exhaustive, and so we will try to model the main possible threats to the constitutional system in the event the e-democracy concept is

The concept of e-democracy involves a gradual, step-by-step implementation of its main elements: dealing with local issues through local electronic referendums, digitalization of administrative services, monitoring of operation of public authorities etc. By integrating society during electronic voting into a single system, the highest degree of legitimation of the decisions made is achieved. At the same time, transformation of the legislative process is the most difficult aspect of e-democracy which bears the lion’s share of risks and threats to the constitutional system of the State.

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Fuller R, Beasts and Gods: How Democracy Changed Its Meaning and Lost Its Purpose (Zed Books 2015) (in English).

2. Goldstein D and Arias E, Violent Democracies in Latin America (Duke University Press 2010) (in English).

3. Masuda Y, Managing In the Information Society (Blackwell Publishers Inc 1990) (in English). 4. Masuda Y, The Information Society As Post-Industrial Society (World Future Society 1988) (in English).

5. Todyka Ju, Osnovy konstitucionnogo stroja Ukrainy [Foundations of the Constitutional Order in Ukraine] (Fakt 1999) (in Russian).

Edited and translated books

6. Durkheim E, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (Joseph Ward Swain transl, George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1915) (in English).

7. Renming Qi and others, ‘Blockchain-Powered Internet of Things, E-Governance and E-Democracy’ in Vinod Kumar T (eds), E-Democracy for Smart Cities. Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements (Springer 2017) (in English).

8. Adzhemoglu D ta Robinson J, Chomu natsii zanepadaiut. Pokhodzhennia vlady, bahatstva, bidnosti [Why Nations Fail: the Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty] (Demianchuka O per z anhl, Nash Format 2018) (in Ukrainian).

9. Dal R, Demokratija i ejo kritiki [Democracy And Its Critics] (Il’in M per s angl, ROSSPEN 2003) (in Russian).

Journal articles

10. Barber B, ‘The Uncertainty of Digital Politics’ [2001] 23(1) Harvard International Review 42–7 (in English).

11. Barber B, ‘Three Scenarios for the Future of Technology and Strong Democracy’ [1998] 113(4) Political Science Quarterly 573–89 (in English).

12. Etzioni A, ‘A Moderate Communitarian Proposal’ [1996] 24(2) Political Theory 155–71 (in English).

13. Etzioni A, ‘The Responsive Community: A Communitarian Perspective’ (1996) American Sociological Review 1–11 (in English).

14. Kreiss D, ‘The Problem of Citizens: E-Democracy for Actually Existing Democracy’ (2015) 2 Social Media + Society <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ pdf/10.1177/2056305115616151> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in English).

15. Naím M and Toro F, ‘Venezuela’s Suicide: Lessons From a Failed State’ (2018) 6 Foreign Affairs 126–38 (in English).

16. Rheingold H, ‘A Slice of Life in my Virtual Community’ (1993) Global Networks: Computes and International Communication 57–80 (in English).

17. Schuler D, ‘E-Democracy Won’t Save Democracy. Democracy Will Save Democracy’ (2018) 8 Communications of the ACM 34–6.

18. Shapiro E, ‘Foundations of e-Democracy’ (2018) 8 Communications of the ACM 31–4 (in English).

19. Van den Hoven J, ‘E-Democracy, E-Contestation and the Monitorial Citizen’ [2005] 7(2) Ethics and Informational Technology 51–9 (in English).

20. Baranov O, ‘Pravovi problemy “elektronnoi demokratii” [‘The Legal Problems of E-Democracy’] [2017] 1(20) Informatsiia i pravo 28–38 (in Ukrainian).

21. Kaganovska T, ‘Elektronne uriaduvannia yak forma derzhavnoho upravlinnia v Ukraini: suchasnyi stan i perspektyvy rozvytku’ [‘The Electronic Government As a Form of Governance in Ukraine: Current State and Prospects of Development’] (2014) 2 Forum prava (in Ukrainian). 22. Levchenko O, ‘Prykladni aspekty realizatsii polityky elektronnoi demokratii v Ukraini: problematyka informatsiinoho vykliuchennia’ [‘Applied Aspects of the Implementation of E-Democracy Policy in Ukraine: the Problem of Informational Exclusion’] [2018] 1(73) Aktualni problemy derzhavnoho upravlinnia 73–7 (in Ukrainian).

23. Pogrebnyak I, ‘Elektronnyi uriad (e-government) i elektronne uriaduvannia (e-governance): poniattia ta pryntsypy funktsionuvannia’ [‘E-government and E-Governance: Concept and Principles of Operation’] [2014] 3(7) Pravo ta innovatsii 26–35 (in Ukrainian).

24. Polkhovska I, ‘Poniattia i pryntsypy konstytutsiino-pravovoho statusu osoby v Ukraini’ [‘Concept and Principles of Person`s Constitutional Status in Ukraine’] (2012) 4 Pravo i suspilstvo 19–23 (in Ukrainian).

25. Sarkisova K, ‘Elektronna demokratiia yak forma politychnoi komunikatsii v suchasnomu suspilstvi’ [‘E-Democracy As a Form of Political Communication In Modern Society’] (2007) 1 Politychnyi Menedzhment 66–74 (in Ukrainian).

26. Skrypniuk O, ‘Konstytutsiinyi lad v Ukraini: metodolohichni problem rozvytku ta vdoskonalennia v konteksti konstytutsiinoi modernizatsii’ [‘The Constitutional Order in Ukraine: Methodological Problems of Development and Improvement in the Context of Constitutional Modernization’] (2012) 4 Visnyk Akademii pravovykh nauk Ukrainy 123–34 (in Ukrainian).

27. Venislavsky F, ‘Vzaiemovidnosyny derzhavno-vladnykh instytutsiy v aspekti zabezpechennia stabilnosti konstytutsiinoho ladu v Ukraini’ [‘The Mutuality Between State-Government Institutions in Terms of Ensuring the Stability of the Constitutional Order in Ukraine’] (2008) 93 Problemy zakonnosti 38–44 (in Ukrainian).

Conference papers

28. Boryslavska O, ‘Do pytannia pro sutnist konstytutsionalizmu ta peredumovy yoho formuvannia v Ukraini’ [‘To the Issue of the Essence of Constitutionalism and the Prerequisites for Its Formation In Ukraine’] v Teoriia i praktyka konstytutsionalizmu: ukrainskiy ta zarubizhnyi dosvid: materialy uchasnykiv Pershoi naukovo-praktychnoii konfenrerentsii [Theory and Practice on the Constitutionalism: Ukrainian and Foreign Experience: Materials of Participants of the First Scientific and Practical Conference] (Nats Un-t Lvivska Politekhnika 2015) (in Ukrainian).

Patents

29. Webb K, US Patents No 4,774,665 (Washington, DC: US Patent and Trademark Office 1988).

Websites

30. ‘Koruptsiini ryzyky nadannia administratyvnykh posluh ta kontrolno-nahliadovoi diialnosti v Ukraini [‘Corruption Risks of Providing Administrative Services and Supervisory Activities in Ukraine’] (Center For Political and Legal Reforms, Democratic Initiatives Foundation, 2018) <https://rm.coe.int/16806eeae4> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).

31. ‘Peredvyborcha prohrama kandydata na post Prezydenta Ukrainy Volodymyra Zelenskoho’ [‘The Election Program of the Candidate for President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky’] (Official Website of Volodymyr Zelensky and the team) <https://program.ze2019.com/> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).

32. ‘Revoliutsiia hidnosti’ [‘Revolution of Dignity’] (Wikipedia, 5.12.2019) <https://uk.wiki pedia.org/wiki/Революція_гідності> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).

33. ‘Yedyni ta derzhavni reyestry’ [‘Uniform and State Registers’] (Ministry of Justice) <https://minjust.gov.ua/m/str_22253> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).

34. Shevchuk S, ‘Ukraina reformuietsia kroviu: liudy vyishly na Maidan, oskilky rozumily, shcho pryishov chas povernuty sutnisnyi zmist konstytutsii’ [‘Ukraine Is Reformed by Blood: People Came to the Maidan, Because They Realized, That  It Was Time to Return the Essential Content of the Constitution’] (Official Website of the Constitutional Court of Ukrane, 25.06.2018) <http://www.ccu.gov.ua/novyna/ stanislav-shevchuk-ukrayina-reformuyetsya-krovyu-lyudy-vyyshly-na-maydanoskilkyrozumily-0> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).

35. Shevchuk S, ‘Vid Sviatoho Pysma do Konstytutsiinoho tekstu’ [‘From the Holy Writ to the Constitutional Text’] (Krytyka, 2009) <https://krytyka.com/ua/articles/vidsvyatohopysma-do-konstytutsiynoho-tekstu> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).

36. Zelensky V, ‘Ya khochu shvydkykh zmin i harantuiu politychnu voliu’ [‘I Want Rapid Changes and Guarantee Political Will’] (Official Website of the President of Ukraine, 13.06.2019) <https://www.president.gov.ua/news/ya-hochu-shvidkih-zmin-i-garantuyupo litichnu-volyu-preziden-55869> (accessed: 29.12.2019) (in Ukrainian).