Can the Internet Be Absorbed Into Democracy?
The National Debate on the Future
of the School System in France
11:00 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

Two years ago, a very large debate took place in France on the future of its educational system. Organized by the French government, the debate aimed at implementing a new law on the educational system. During the debate process digital technology was intensively used. In his introductory speech describing the debate process at hand, President Jacques Chirac claimed “I hope this debate will be exemplary in method and in scale, a milestone in the modernization of our public life.” Citizens were given the opportunity to express themselves by email or through forums; the syntheses of the 15,000 local meetings that took place everywhere in France were published online. What was the impact of this type of e-democracy? To which extent did the use of information technology improve the participation in the debate and the quality of the preparation of the law? Dr. Jean-Jacques Moscarola’s direct involvement in the team that was in charge of analyzing the content of the debate and further research based on a systematic analysis of the press articles until the publication of the law allows him to make a critical appraisal of the influence information technology as compared with more traditional parliamentary procedure or street demonstrations.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Moscarola is a professor of marketing and information/decision making systems at the University of Savoie in Annecy, France. He also serves as researcher and director of a technological research group applied to the observation of commercial mediations based on information and communication technologies. Dr. Moscarola founded Sphinx Development and in this capacity works with a variety of clients using his proprietary software to solve business needs. The software system includes data analysis, data mining and Internet surveys. He received his doctorate in applied economics from HEC Paris.