Lauristin, Marju, juhendajaJakobson, Mari-LiisTartu Ülikool. SotsiaalteaduskondTartu Ülikool. Ajakirjanduse ja kommunikatsiooni osakond2010-10-212010-10-212007http://hdl.handle.net/10062/15616The current Bachelor’s thesis „E-elections as the Subject of Public Discourse” aimed to set the margins of the discussion taking place over the e-elections in Estonia. The thesis is grounded mainly in the sociological approach. As the result of the analysis, it can be pointed, that the debate over the Estonian e- elections in the local media was rather fragmentated, and the protagonists of the innovation had their specific arguments, while the antagonists responded with theirs, on a completely different subject. This did not enable the debate grow into a rational discussion that would have resulted in consensual decision. Rather, the representation of narrow groups’ intrests dominated. The most active participants in the discussion were the politicians; more generally, the parties. The three most active parties – The Reform Party (Reformierakond), The National Alliance (Rahvaliit) and The Center Party (Keskerakond) attempted to use the debate to vociferate their ideology, and to gain further electoral support. Thereat, the divide between the supportive parties and the opposing parties (in the matter of electronic elections) went through the crossover of the social – liberal and the conservative – innovative scales. And naturally – the politicians supporting the e-elections tend to be more innovative and liberal, and the ones opposing, more conservative and socialist. A sense of politicisation characterised the editorial media, who tended to mediate the political standpoints of various politicians to their readers. That is irrespective of the claims that Estonian papers are non-partisan. Meanwhile, the reader oneself femained rather modest and apolitical in ones vociferations. The politicisation characterised the discourse until the first e-elections were successfully heldi n 2005. Afterwards, the leading role was transmitted to the experts and researchers. Due to that, the debate rationalized somewhat and became more research-based. The approach of the independent researchers and the officials concerned with the development of the e-voting system was somewhat different. In the former case, the approach was more objective and balanced. In the case of the latter, it was affected by their (professional) intrest to socialize the idea of e-elections into the society, and to assure its technical and participatory functioning. Concerning the subjects of the debate – the most attention was drawn to the technical characteristics of the e-voting system, especially among the e-elections supporters.. No significant debate over the matter evolved, theough. As was the case with the political aspect – the most popular amongst the e-elections’ opposers, especially the politicians.. The objective of the latter was to undermine their contestants, and to differentiate their own politics.application/pdfH Social Sciences (General)bakalaureusetöödinfoühiskonde-riike-hääletaminehääletaminevalimisedavalik arvamusThesis