Designing E-Parliaments: restoring trust or seeking legitimacy?

Parliaments are facing the complexity of managing new Internet technologies (IT) to appear as transparent and accountable institutions. IT permit to parliaments to communicate with citizens and engage more effectively them in the political process providing high quality information and greater access to documents and activities of the legislature. Internet provides a means of seeking the views of constituents on public policy. Parliaments are becoming aware in using digital technologies for structuring an e-parliament and encouraging people engagement in the public life. Parliaments seeking legitimacy as open and transparent institutions may design their websites that make available documents and information on parliamentary activities to restore the relationship of confidence with citizens and promote accountability. Parliaments may play a decisional or ratifying role on policymaking and structure a different approach towards the design of an e-parliament through implementation of their websites between restoring of trust with citizens and seeking legitimacy.