Difference between revisions of "Big Questions"

Revision as of 18:06, 18 May 2011

• What is Civic Intelligence?
• What role do ICT's play in Civic Intelligence?
• Where did the notion of Civic Intelligence originate?
• What does it mean to be intelligent collectively versus individually?
• How can — or could — Civic Intelligence combat apathy, both on an individual and group level?
• How would one recognize and ultimately even measure Civic Intelligence?
• Similarly, how can one compare two examples of "Civic Intelligence"?
• What is the role of the individual in Civic Intelligence?
• Can Civic Intelligence be measured? And, if so, how?
• Is there an absolute measure of "Civic Intelligence" or does it always depend on context?
• Does the notion of Civic Intelligence presuppose that we currently live in an unintelligent community? Or that our community is unable to intelligently utilize resources to better the community as a whole?
• How can "Civic Intelligence" help to change the course of this nation from being an individualistic society to being a true community.
• Is an informed community considered an intelligent community? How informed does a community have to be before they are considered intelligent?
• What parts of our current society need to be drastically changed in order to naturally cultivate civic intelligence?
• What is education? What is brain washing?

• What are the indicators of increasing civic intelligence?

• What forms of collective intelligence exist?
• How to define the difference between group intelligence and a group following the so called intelligence of one individual

e-participation: list of questions for Douglas Schuler (From Austrian journalist, Angelika Ohland, May 9, 2011)

• How can an average citizen become a motor for innovation and the implementation of solutions by e-participation?

• Which technical tools does he need? And are they already available?

• How do deliberation networks function? Are there any rules, is there any control? Are there any barriers to participation?

• How can we organize a deliberation process that matters and avoid ineffective talking without any results?

• How can collective thinking help to solve problems in the community? Do you know any examples for successful 
e-participation today?

• Food shortages, despoiled natural resources, economic inequality, wars, dictatorship: Is collective reasoning also able to help to solve global problems?

• What are the characteristic traits of civic intelligence? And on the contrary: How would you describe civic ignorance?

• What do people have to know and to learn for being able to deliberate?

• How influencial are age, education, income, regional and cultural factors?

• How can ordinary people with little education become a part of the deliberating community?

• How can we increase the inclusiveness of e-participation?


• Which role will ordinary people play in the new civic society? And will the political and economic elites be less influencial in the future?

• Will e-participation implement more grassroot democracy?

• Deliberating networks do not have any democratic legitimation. Can this be changed? How can ideas be transformed into political action?

• Will e-participation change the political institutions?

• Do you think that citizens are interested in e-participation? Aren´t they busy enough taking care of their ordinary life? Aren´t they relieved if politicians and experts do the job for them?

• Lobbyists spend huge amounts of money to anticipate a debate about the danger of atomic power or the destructive influence of our consuming habits on the climate. Do ordinary people have a chance to see through these aggressive forms of anti-deliberation?

• And at last: Will we be smart enough, soon enough?