Electronic democracy in Russia: setting up the tradition of political awareness and participation

The possibility to develop democratic participation of citizens in public administration is singled out by the researchers as one of the advantages of the Internet development. Basing on data from an international study and surveying of young people-citizens of Russia, the article analyses different factors that prevent and promote increasing e-participation in Russia.The purpose of the article was to study the potential of e-participation in increasing the involvement of the public in decision-making processes with taking into account the current political situation and the historical heritage. The authors approached the problem after having studied the capacity both of the projects of e-participation, initiated by the RF government, and of the public activity in the internet to overcome social indifference and encourage forming the tradition of political awareness and participation. Study of the main factors of Russias internet-activity that affect an individuals motivation to social participation, gives grounds to conclude that the lack of formal instruments of political participation, along with the availability of material and intellectual resources, and more importantly, the violated interests, play an important role in motivating people to take an active civil position. Training people in political participation is also very important. Democracy practice is the only way to make the tradition of political awareness and participation, and opportunities for it are given by the internet space which makes it possible to use different methods of political participation.Conclusion: instruments of e-democracy have the potential to overcome the factors (they were revealed during the survey) that restrain public participation of respondents.