Today, the internet is increasingly used by public authorities as a tool for the online consultation of citizens and organizations, including outside the circle of the ‘usual suspects’. Democracy, however, is not defined only by one’s capacity to express one’s preferences, but primarily by an equal capacity to participate in converting social inputs into political outputs and thus to contribute to decision-making. Online and more general public consultations are valued by citizens, but the question remains whether there is actually ‘anybody listening’ (Coleman and Blumler, 2009: 189).

(Yannis Papadopoulos "Democracy in Crisis?")