Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Parties and Date-Driven policy making: Redefinition of Political Representation In Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Ph.D. Student of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jppolicy.2026.106375

Abstract

The rapid advancement of emerging technologies—particularly AI and big data analytics—has profoundly transformed traditional structures of representative democracy. Political parties, long serving as intermediaries between citizens and governments, now face the rise of "cyber parties," compelling them to redefine their roles. This study examines how AI reshapes political representation and the role of cyber parties in fostering new models of political participation. It investigates how data-driven technologies challenge conventional notions of representation and explores cyber parties' influence in this process. The hypothesis posits that these technologies, by enabling direct citizen-state engagement and diminishing traditional parties' mediation, create a more transparent, agile, and data-informed model of representation. Findings suggest cyber parties leverage AI to predict voter behavior and tailor policies to real-time data, potentially enhancing democratic efficiency and legitimacy. However, risks include data platform monopolization, privacy violations, and marginalization of minority voices. Redefining representation in the data era demands revising democratic norms alongside algorithmic oversight and digital literacy mechanisms

Keywords

References

  1. Abbasi Ghadi, M., & Khalili Kashani, M. (2010). The impact of the internet on national identity. Tehran: Strategic Studies Research Institute, pp. 71–72. )in Persian(
  2. aji, P. (2021). Cyberpolitics Sebagai Bagian dari Perubahan Sosial dan Budaya di Era Revolusi Industri 4.0. PARAPOLITIKA: Journal of Politics and Democracy Studies, 2(2), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.33822/jpds.v2i2.5908
  3. Akhavan Kazemi, B. (2009). Party and partisanship in Islamic thought. Quarterly Journal of Islamic Studies: Jurisprudence and Principles, 41(1), 11–42 )in Persian(
  4. Ashayeri, T., Matni, A., Jahan Parvar, T., & Raghami, F. (2024). Electoral behavior of Iranian ethnic groupsand its influencing factors: A meta-analysis of studies (2009–2022). Political Strategy Quarterly, 8(2), 163–198. . )in Persian(
  5. Ayyari, A. (2005). Ethnic identity on the internet (A study of online performance of Azeri, Baluchi, Turkmen, Arab Khuzestani, and Kurdish groups). Master’s thesis, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran. . )in Persian(
  6. Beckman, L., Hultin Rosenberg, J., & Jebari, K. (2024). Artificial intelligence and democratic legitimacy. The problem of publicity in public authority. AI and Society, 39(3), 975–984. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01493-0
  7. Berg, Sebastian; Hofmann, Jeanette (2021) : Digital democracy, Internet Policy Review, ISSN 2197-6775, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Vol. 10,Iss. 4, pp. 1-23,https://doi.org/10.14763/2021.4.1612.
  8. Biancalana, C., Vittori, D. (2021). Cyber-Parties’ Membership Between Empowerment and Pseudo-participation: The Cases of Podemos and the Five Star Movement. In: Barberà, O., Sandri, G., Correa, P., Rodríguez-Teruel, J. (eds) Digital Parties. Studies in Digital Politics and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78668-7_6
  9. Crompton, H., Burke, D. Artificial intelligence in higher education: the state of the field. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 20, 22 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00392-8
  10. Fischli R, Muldoon J. Empowering Digital Democracy. Perspectives on Politics. 2024;22(3):819-835. doi:10.1017/S1537592724000409
  11. Gerbaudo, P. (2019). Are digital parties more democratic than traditional parties? Evaluating Podemos and Movimento 5 Stelle’s online decision-making platforms. Party Politics, 27(4), 730-742. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068819884878 (Original work published 2021)
  12. Hartmann, J., Schwenzow, J., & Witte, M. (2023). The political ideology of conversational AI: Converging evidence on ChatGPT’s pro-environmental, left-libertarian orientation. Social Science Research Network, abs/2301.01768. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2301.01768
  13. Hassani Far, A. (2017). Anatomy of political power in light of the meaning of “the political”: A new framework for understanding the political. Quarterly Journal of Political Studies, 8(25), 29–52. )in Persian(
  14. Kama Işık, S., & Işık, A. (2021). Digital Political Parties as a New Type of Political Party. Istanbul Law Review, 79(2), 673-698. https://doi.org/10.26650/mecmua.2021.79.2.0008
  15. Khalili, M. (2015). The conflict between e-government and e-democracy. Quarterly Journal of State Studies, 1(3), 1–32. )in Persian(
  16. Kiouss, S, (2002) "Interactivity: A Concept Explication", Journal of New Medi And Society, 4(3): PP355-383.
  17. Kishishian, G. (2017). Culture and political socialization in the information age. Interdisciplinary Journal of Media and Culture, 7(2), 173–203. . )in Persian(
  18. König, P. D. (2023). Citizen conceptions of democracy and support for artificial intelligence in government and politics. European Journal of Political Research, 62(4), 1280–1300. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.1257
  19. Margetts, Helen (2010). "Cyber Parties". Handbook of Party Politics. 2006. SAGE Publications. 6 Apr. http://www.sage-ereference.com/hdbk_partypol/Article_n46.html
  20. Margetts, Helen (2010). "Cyber Parties". Handbook of Party Politics. London : SAGE Publications.
  21. Modarresi, M., Barzegar, K., Abtahi, S. M., & Bakhshayesh Ardastani, A. (2024). Political participation of Ahvazi citizens in the 11th Iranian parliamentary elections. Rahyaft-e Enqelab-e Eslami (IslamicRevolution Approach Quarterly), 18(68), 144–177. . )in Persian(
  22. Moeini Alamdar, J. (2005). Identity and virtuality: The impact of the internet on identity. National StudiesQuarterly, 24(4), 107–124. . )in Persian(
  23. Montazer Ghaem, M. (2002). Digital democracy and electronic government: Politics and governance in theage of information and communication technologies. Social Sciences Journal, 19, 233–234. . )in Persian(
  24. Montazer Ghaem, M., & Tatar, A. (2005). Internet, social capital, and silent groups. Iranian Journal ofCultural and Communication Studies, 1(4), 223–245. . )in Persian(
  25. Naqibzadeh, A. (2009). Political modernization and the formation of parties in the Islamic Republic of IranJournal of Islamic Revolution Studies, 5(17), 187–212. . )in Persian(
  26. Parvin, Kh., & Nouraee, M. (2012). The contradiction of democracy and Islam. Quarterly Journal of Islamic Human Rights Studies, 1(1), 141–160 )in Persian(
  27. Peters, U. Algorithmic Political Bias in Artificial Intelligence Systems. Philos. Technol. 35, 25 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00512-8
  28. Rajabi, M., & Nasrollahi, M. S. (2023). Cultural consequences of AI development in social media in IranIranian Journal of Cultural Studies, 16(2), 95–125. . )in Persian(
  29. Rashid Soofi, M. (2006). New real and virtual identities: A study of internet users among students of different gender and ethnicity. Global Media Journal, 2, 4. . )in Persian(
  30. Sadeghizadeh, S. (2020). Paradigm shift, re-creation of the political, and understanding Iran’s upcoming Political Science Research Journal, 15(3), 117–140. . )in Persian(
  31. Sadoughi, M. A. (2005). Information technology and national sovereignty. Tehran: Office of Political andInternational Studies, p. 19. . )in Persian(
  32. Sarparast Sadat, E. (2015). Typology and critical reconsideration of democracy in the Iranian pro-liberalcurrent during the Islamic Republic. Political Science Research Journal, 10(4), 75–110. . )in Persian(
  33. Shafiei Far, M. (2005). Democracy and social justice with emphasis on the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Strategic Studies Quarterly, 8(27), 49–79. . )in Persian(
  34. Shafiei Seif Abadi, M. (2021). Exploring the reasons for the decline in public participation in the 2021elections and the future of citizens’ voting behavior: Based on Milbrath’s political participation theory and Schwartz’s scenario-writing theory. Political Science Research Journal, 16(3), 61–108 . )in Persian(
  35. Soare, S., Tap, P., Gherghina, S., & Boldrini, M. (2025). Party digitalization and members’ empowerment: A comparison of four Italian parties. Mediterranean Politics, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629395.2025.2459559
  36. Weinhardt, C., Fegert, J., Hinz, O. et al. Digital Democracy: A Wake-Up Call. Bus Inf Syst Eng 66, 127–134 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-024-00862-x.
Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 124-139

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics