Is Democracy in Crisis with the ICT? A Comparative Analysis of Political Cultures of Norway and Republic of Turkey

Is Information and Communication Technology (ICT) democratizing states or is democracy in crisis? The use of ICT in governance processes has advanced and several case studies have been conducted on how internet, mobile telephones, and SMS influences political activities. The aim of this study is to compare the impact of internet on the ‘digital democracies’ (E-democracy/ Internet democracy) in Norway and Turkey and impact of internet to democratic freedoms in 1992-2021. It will analyze the influence of Information technology (IT) on digital democracies. Norway is selected as a case because it is identified as the most democratic state in the world according to some credible sources such as Chatham House democratic index and Freedom House. While Turkey is ranked lower in the list, it is also determined by various sources as one of the states which can be a model to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In addition, Turkey was chosen for this study because it is listed among the countries that experienced the greatest freedom decline in the last ten years according to Freedom House, and because it connects Europe and Asia, its population has a different political culture. The study is a comparative analysis and it will make use of qualitative methodology. Hence primary and secondary sources will be utilized. As a result of this study, the relationship between digital culture and state identity will be elaborated from a constructivist perspective and the research will question whether both states can address the challenges and manage the technological developments in the 21st century.