Social Media for Citizen Engagement: Report of Australian Federal Government Trials

By Jim Macnamara, Vicki Bamford and Judy Betts

Governments worldwide are adopting interactive social media in an attempt to engage citizens and increase democratic participation. In late 2008 and early 2009, the Australia Federal Government conducted three trials of online citizen engagement.

The Australian Centre for Public Communication conducted an independent study of the three trials as well as eight other online citizen engagement programs by federal government departments and agencies. The findings have been published in several academic journals including the Australian Journal of Political Science (Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 227–244).

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.