The use of the Internet for civic engagement: a view from Blacksburg, Virginia (original) (raw)

Civic Participation in the Internet Age

1998

Added to the mix in current discussion about the future of American democracy is the potentially revolutionary impact of new information technologies on civic life. This paper explores the claims for technology's ability to enhance civic participation, focusing particular attention on the Internet. The paper states that the claims are grounded, however, within the larger context of political theory-specifically, the tension between representative and direct forms of democracy. It addresses this context first, before considering politics on the Internet and discussing a 1998 K. A. Hill and J. E. Hughes study about Usenet political newsgroups. Contains 24 references and 3 appendixes: Appendix A contains data on Usenet Newsgroups; Appendix B contains Websites used in the 1998 study; and Appendix C lists addresses for "electronic democracy" websites. (BT)

Engaging Citizens on the Internet

International Journal of Electronic Government Research, 2000

This article presents empirical results relating to citizen-government relations on the internet that are based on an assessment of the World Wide Web presence of 428 local governments in northeast Ohio. Northeast Ohio provides a useful picture of E-government-citizen relationships because it includes a range of local government forms (counties, townships, etc.), urban and rural populations, and Midwestern influences that many consider “typical” of American states. The website reviews conducted assess citizen-government engagement in a variety of areas. The measures used include simple engagements like the ability to sign up for email updates and the presence of event calendars to more involved interactions, such as blogs, e-pay services, and open records requests. Using these measures, the authors assess citizen-government engagement among local governments in the sample

Democracy and the Internet: Access, Engagement and Deliberation

Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 2006

The internet has the capacity to facilitate the creation of new forms of civic engagement, but the realisation of these opportunities requires institutional and cultural reinforcement. The democratic character of e-citizenship and the equal distribution of online resources to the public require the fulfilment of four conditions: access, engagement (incorporating education, motivation and trust), meaningful deliberation and a link between civic input and public policy output. Furthermore, the gap between the main features of cyberspace and the inherent prerequisites of democracy, such as a finite space and a set of rules, create tensions that need to be negotiated politically. Although the empirical evidence available includes some encouraging signs regarding the future use of the internet for civic engagement, the existing limitations and obstacles mean that the new media will complement, rather than replace, the old media as a democratic public sphere.

Surveying the Internet: Democratic Theory and Civic Life in Cyberspace

Southeastern Political Review, 1996

The Internet, with its rapidly growing worldwide community of users, provides the means to develop anew public space thatfacilitates democratic participation in politics adqted to advanced post-industrial societies. We describe models of electronic democracy that derive from the power of the Internet to enhance citizens' participation in politics. We then explain how we developed and administered asurvey to collect data on how people use the Internet to participate in civic life. After reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of our data collection, we analyze and report the results. Finally, we evaluate our results with regard to the validity of the models of democracy with which we began, andwe commenton some of theirbroader substantive and methodological implications for democratic theoly.

Digital Democracy in America: A Look at Civic Engagement in an Internet Age

Although the Internet has redefined interactions between the individual and the community, the U.S. civic engagement that so impressed Tocqueville still occurs today. Using data derived from a longitudinal survey of undergraduate students at a Midwestern university, we find that digital civic engagement fills the void left by drops in more conventional forms of political participation. We also find that educators have an important role to play in cultivating and maintaining online and offline civic engagement among younger people. We conclude that scholars and undergraduate educators need to develop curricula that build upon the ways students currently participate in democracy.

Is E-Democracy a Myth? Civic Participation and Democratic Reform

emphasise that e-democracy should not be separated from the everyday operations of government. While online democratic engagement is a slowly evolving process, initial steps are being undertaken by governments that enable e-participation to shape democratic reform.

Empowering Democracy Through Internetization

2020

This policy brief explores the challenges and opportunities congruent with the advent of internetization on the democratic landscape. Internetization is a new word that I have coined to describe our contemporary empowerment through global outreach and electronic connectivity. There is no denying that the 21 st century has precipitated profound structural change and empowered democracy through digital capacity and electronic connectivity. This paper analyzes the impact of internetization on e-democracy, social media, civics education, non-governmental organizations and global outreach. It also addresses the consequences of internetization on cybersecurity threats, election tampering and the contemporary challenges associated with electronic voting. This policy brief concludes with a set of recommendations embracing a new governance architecture, adapting the machinery of governance to electronic capacity and a strategic list of public policy initiatives directed to enhance the role ...