Posted
Publicly, July 2004
Release Note from
Steven Clift, E-Democracy.Org Board Chair
In 2002, E-Democracy.Org
assisted Jakob Linaa Jensen with
the design of a survey that was sent to a representative sample of our
online forum participants. Here is the
Minnesota
E-Democracy Survey Report that he provided to those who asked for a
summary of results when taking the survey.
E-Democracy.Org
often finds that general surveys on the political impact of the Internet
provide only limited value when it comes mapping out strategic choices.
It could very well be that the Internet will accellerate political
decline for most people who do not engage in e-democracy activities online
while at the same time promoting greater involvement by those who are introduced
or opt-in to online civic activities. As a volunteer-based non-profit we
need to learn and share details on the most effective interventionist "e-democracy"
actions and approach. Direct experience is only one part of the equation.
To extend our work we need to work in theory as well as in practice.
Rather than expecting
the Internet to democratize the world as some miracle technology and survey
the whole population, we feel the research community needs to look at specific
online actions (that are combined with democratic intent) and measure their
impact on specific/actual users/participants. We have experienced
the democratizing impact of the Internet for a decade ... we have lived
the myth that so many have incorrectly dismissed based on content analysis
of political and government web sites or poorly designed or executed online
political forums.
A new generation
of fundamental research questions needs to asked and answered. Once
such question - If you want to use information and communication technologies
to improve democracy and citizen engagement, what are the most effective
tools, approaches, models? Along with some comparative studies of similar
approaches with different cultures, social groups, and political systems,
we feel this approach will help e-democracy project work in theory as well
as they already do in practice.
It was an honor
to work with Jakob Jensen. The
process allowed us to help define questions that we could learn from in
order to improve our democratic work and put numbers to hunches that we
had based on years of experience. We encourage you to use and adapt
these questions in your research related to online democratic activity.
We also encourage you to contact
us if you'd like to work with us in your own research efforts or compare
notes with other researchers who are creating the knowledge needed to share
and extend best practices in e-democracy.
Survey questions
sent to a sample of E-Democracy.Org forum participants in 2002:
Survey - Minnesota E-Democracy
– A unique kind of democratic debate
Your activity on Minnesota
E-Democracy
Question 1:
Which E-Democracy hosted
forums (e-mail discussion lists) do you subscribe to:
(check all that apply)
Minneapolis Issues Forum
St. Paul Issues Forum
Winona Online Democracy
Minnesota Politics Discuss
Question 2:
In which of the forums
do you spend the most time (i.e. follow most closely)?
Minneapolis Issues Forum
St. Paul Issues Forum
Winona Online Democracy
Minneasota Politics
Discuss
Question 3:
For how long have you
participated in one or more of the forums? (off and on or continuously)
Since 1994
Between 5 and 7 years
Between 3 and 4 years
Between 1 and 2 years
Less than a year
Question 4:
How did you first become
aware of Minnesota E-Democracy or any of its forums?
Via links on the Internet
Through an e-mail from
a friend or family member
Through an e-mail from
a political or professional contact
Through media coverage
Through word of mouth
(off-line)
At a public meeting
or event
Through print flyers
or similar materials
Other, ____
Question 5:
How often do you use
any of the features provided online by Minnesota E-Democracy? (read the
discussion
messages or use the
E-Democracy web site to find links or information)
Everyday
Most days
Most weeks
Every month
Rarely
Never
Question 6:
Approximately how often
do you post (send an e-mail to the list(s)) to any of the forums?
Everyday
Most days
Most weeks
Every month
Rarely
Never
Jump question 6a (if
answer anything but “never”):
Have you ever received
private responses (those not shared publicly with other participants) to
any of your
postings from
(check all that apply)
Another participant
A government official
An elected official
A journalist
Someone offering information
you sought
Someone supporting the
opinion you expressed
Someone differing with
the opinion you expressed
Someone offering abusive
comments (profanity, personalized name calling, etc.)
Question 7:
What activities have
you engaged in on the forum(s)?
(check all that apply)
Started new topics of
discussion
Contributed my opinion
to discussions
Requested information
from the group
Contributed information
and/or links
Forwarded messages from
the forum(s) to others
Encouraged others to
join the forum(s)
Engaged in private exchanges
with other forum members
Read a post which caused
me to e-mail, call, write or meet with an elected official
Read a post which caused
me to attend a public meeting, event or rally
Read discussions without
posting
Impressions and conceptions
of the forum
Question 8:
Consider your experience
with the forum(s) in which you participate. How would you evaluate the
following
elements of the forum?
Please use a scale from
1 to 5 where 1 characterizes a very negative impression and 5 characterizes
a very
positive impression
(-)
(+)
The overall quality
of the postings 1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5
The quality of my own
postings 1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5 __ Doesn’t Apply
The amount of new information
provided 1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5
The reliability of the
information provided
1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 ---
5
The usefulness of the
discussion 1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5
The level of respect
between the debaters 1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5
The general atmosphere
in the forum 1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5
Please share further
comments on your personal experiences - good, bad or simply notable:
________________________________________________
Question 9:
Consider the following
factors and their effects on making Minnesota E-Democracy’discussions an
ideal
forum for online dialogue,
participation and civic involvement.
Please use a scale from
1 to 5, where 1 means a very negative effect and 5 means a very positive
effect.
(-)
(+)
The rules and guidelines
1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5
The forum managers (list
manager/”moderator”)
1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 ---
5
The geographical boundaries
on topics discussed
1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 ---
5
The present technical
form of the discussion (i.e. an e-mail list not a web board) 1 ---2 ---
3 --- 4 --- 5
The information provided
on the website of Minnesota E-Democracy
1 ---2 --- 3 --- 4 ---
5
Question 10:
Try to compare Minnesota
E-Democracy forums with other forms of political participation. To which
forms
do you find it most
similar?
(one to three answers,
please)
Writing letters to the
editor for a newspaper or journal
Participating in a meeting
with other citizens
Contacting politicians
by letter
Contacting politicians
in person
Discussing politics
with friends, colleagues or family
Attending a political
party meeting
Organizing grassroots
activities
Other forms, which_________________
Do not know
Question 11
Considering the overall
content in the forum(s) compared to view points expressed in other media
(TV,
radio, newspapers etc.)
Is it:
More balanced
Similar
Less balanced
Question 12:
To what extent do you
think the discussions affect the following areas?
Please use a scale from
1 to 5 where 1 means they have no impact, 3 means they have some impact
and 5
means they have a large
impact.
No impact-some impact-large
impact
Influencing politicial
decision-makers 1—2—3—4—5
Setting the community
agenda? 1—2—3—4—5
Influencing opically
related media coverage of community or political issues? 1—2—3—4—5
Affecting public life
or your community relations with others? 1—2—3—4—5
Question 13:
Over time, have the
discussions changed or influenced your political opinions or your vote?
(check all that apply)
It has changed how I
normally vote
It has influenced my
vote in specific elections
It has changed one or
more of my political opinions
It has had some impact
on my political opinions
It has had no impact
at all
Don’t know
Question 14:
Consider your experience
with the activities of Minnesota E-Democracy. Which of the following purposes
do you think it serves
best?
(one to three answers
please)
Discussion among citizens
Discussion among citizens
and politicians
Affecting media coverage
Putting issues on the
political agenda
Giving a voice to alternative
perspectives
Giving a voice to diverse
or less represented groups in society
Contacting politicians
Searching for information
about politics or community issues
Networking with other
politically active people
Organizing grassroot
activities
Linking communities
and neighborhoods together
Other
Do not know
Question 15:
Have you experienced
cases where Minnesota E-Democracy forum discussions have had an effect
on
political decisions,
the agenda in traditional media or ”in-person” discussions in the community.
If so, please
describe:
_______________________________
Question 16:
What do you value most
about the discussion in the forum(s)? What do you value most about
the role of
Minnesota E-Democracy
and their volunteer forum managers?
Question 17:
What should Minnesota
E-Democracy do to improve the use of the Internet as a tool for citizen
participation,
political/community
involvement or dialogue among the citizens and elected officials?
Do you have specific
suggestions for E-Democracy’s
web site and e-mail forums, or related online services you’d like to see
in
Minnesota related to
democracy?
Political interest and
participation in general
Question 18:
Do you consider yourself
interested in politics and/or community affairs?
Yes, very much
Yes, to some extent
Only a little
Not really
Not at all
Question 19:
Have you participated
in other discussions online?
(check all that apply)
Yes, on a political party
website/e-mail list
Yes, on a politicians
website/e-mail list
Yes, on a political
or community organization’s website/e-mail list
Yes, on a government
website/e-mail list
Yes, on an individual’s
website/e-mail list
Yes, on a mass media
website/e-mail list
Yes, on a commercial
website/e-mail list
Yes, through “usenet”
newsgroups
Yes, through real-time
chat or group instant messaging
No, I have not
Question 20:
Have you actively participated
in politics the last 12 months?
(check all that apply)
Member of /donor to a
political party
Attended a political
party’s precinct caucus
Candidate for elective
office
Member of any kind of
government or local councils
Member of a grassroot
organisation
Attended town meetings,
public hearings, citizen activist meetings, etc.
Written a letter to
the editor
Contacted a politician
on one or more issues
Discussed politics with
family, friends or colleagues
I voted in the most
recent election
None
Question 21:
Which effect has your
participation in Minnesota E-Democracy had on the following factors?:
Please use a scale from
–2 to +2, where –2 means a decrease, 0 means no effect and +2 means an
increase.
Decrease ------ No effect
------ Increase
My interest in political
or community issues
-2 --- -1 --- 0 ---
+1 --- +2
My knowledge of political
or community issues
-2 --- -1 --- 0 ---
+1 --- +2
My overall civic involvement
-2 --- -1 --- 0 ---
+1 --- +2
My knowledge of the
rationale behind other people’s opinions
-2 --- -1 --- 0 ---
+1 --- +2
My level respect for
those with differing opinions from my own
-2 --- -1 --- 0 ---
+1 --- +2
My sense of connection
to elected officials
-2 --- -1 --- 0 ---
+1 --- +2
Use of Internet and other
media
Question 22:
How often do you use
the following Internet features?
Several times a day -
Every day - Weekly - Monthly - Less than that - Never
E-mail? X -------------------
X ----------X --------- X ------------- X --------- X
Websites? X -------------------
X ----------X --------- X ------------- X --------- X
Instant messaging? X
------------------- X ----------X --------- X ------------- X ---------
X
Question 23:
Where do you access the
Internet on a regular basis?
(check all that apply)
At home
At work
At school/university
At libraries, cafes,
or other public places
At the homes of friends
or family
Other places
Question 24:
Which non-Internet forms
of media do you use at least once a week?
(check all that apply)
TV
Radio
Newspapers
Magazines
Others
I use only the Internet
Demographics:
Question 25:
Basic demographics
What is your gender?
Male__ Female___
What is your age? ____years
What is your ZIP code
_____
Question 26:
Which education do you
have (please mark the highest level attained)?
_None, or grades 1-8
_Some High school (grades
9-11)
_High school graduate
(grade 12 or GED certificate)
_Business, Technical,
or vocational school AFTER high school
_Some college, no 4-year
degree
_College graduate (B.S.,
B.A., or other 4-year degree)
_Post-graduate training/professional
school after college (Master' degree/Ph.D., Law or Medical school)
_Don't know/Refused
Question 27:
How would you best describe
yourself?
”Average” citizen
Activist citizen
Journalist
Elected official
City employee
County/regional govt
employee
State government employee
Don't know/Refused
At Minnesota E-Democracy’s
request I have included the following two optional questions for their
use in comparing the demographics of participants with recent census data.
The aggregate information will help them establish a baseline for future
outreach.
Question 28:
Race/Ethnicity
Please check all boxes
that describe your racial/ethnic background (adapted from U.S. Census categories):
White
Black or African American
American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific
Islander
Hispanic or latino
Don’t Know/Refused
Question 29:
Total Household Income
Per Year (from US Census categories)
Less than $10,000
$10,000 - $14,999
$15,000 - $24,999
$25,000 - $34,999
$35,000 - $49,000
$50,000 - $74,999
$75,000 - $99,999
$100,000 - $149,000
$150,000 - $199,999
$200,000 or more
Thank you for the participation.
You will of course remain anonymous and your answers will be treated and
analyzed with the utmost discretion.
