Birger P. Priddat

Redelegating responsibility to society

From the “Zivilgesellschaft” to eGovernment: Virtualization of the State as a mode of social responsibility

15 pages · 4.95 EUR
(October 2002)

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Introduction:

In 2000 a certain discussion on civil society and on social responsibility started in Germany. The Zivilgesellschaft, as Gerhard Schröder announced in his article in Neue Gesellschaft in 2000, heralds the “return of politics”. The clarion call of the “enabling state”, which is to concentrate on equality of opportunity rather than redistribution, is “fördern und fordern” (sponsor and challenge); citizens are to assume greater responsibility for themselves and their affairs – the return of the local. Taking up this theme, Sigmar Gabriel (President-Minister of Lower-Saxonia) emphasized that reclaiming politics is a matter for citizens: “the old world of politics is out-dated”, the new must involve greater citizens’ participation in the political planning process. Today we have a new resource at our disposal to realize this aim: the virtualization of the state. The neoliberal idea of the “lean state” is far too shallow to capture the radical implications of what we are suggesting.

In 2002 nobody in politics really remembers that issue of 2000; nowadays we are discussing private/public-partnership and corporate citizenship, but not within the context of eGovernment. We are starting to devaluate this capital of reform before beginning.