Abstract

The new technologies of communication have wrought great changes to relations between the administration and citizens, and they direct attention to problems which concern the organization and development of participation. These major transformations also render it necessary to extend analysis from civic networks to the effects of the new technologies on the social organization. The author analyses three issues of importance for public policy-making. The first concerns the need to eliminate inequalities in access to the new technologies by means of education. The second issue is the threat to privacy raised by the use made of the information collected by electronic means (credit cards, telephone, etc.). The third one centres on the changes introduced by technologies into the relationship between the elected and electors.