The Political Life Of The Internet

First, I would strongly suggest you examine the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The website is www.pewinternet.org. There are so many relevant sourcesa and publications that I figured it needless to provide short analysis. They are definitely one of the most respected sources on this subject.

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A variety of scholars/authors have weighed in on the Internet and civics since the first book. I tried to limit my search to post-2000 literature and uncovered a great deal of analysis of the momentum of information and participation permeating political life through the Internet. However, just by quick reading of most texts, I realized that the tide has been turning so fast in the study of this phenomenon that many recent publications (2001-2003) leave out so much of what is presently mainstream. Indeed, most comprehensive studies of the past 3 years fail to mention "blogging." Nevertheless, some significant progress has been made in the past four years.

Information and American Democracy: Technology in the Evolution of Political Power Bruce Bimber: Cambridge UP, 2003.

In his Political Individuals chapter (211-219), Bimber puts forward an interesting argument concerning the "behavioral phenomenon of interest," claiming that Internet usage from 96-01 increased so rapidly because of the saliency of the technology with the public. Put more simply, as the technology becomes more socially acceptable, so does the effort put forth to obtain/use it (a quasi-snowball effect trickling from upper-educated to lower-working class).

However, Bimber does not ignore the negative forces at play regarding usage across demographics. Whereas access to the Internet is the first "social divide" (which has decreased), the second divide is the gap in skill-level and operation that leads to productive use of the technology, which he notes is obviously in favor of the white, educated upper class.

Breaking the relationship down even further, Bimber offers this perspective on the relationship between the individual and the Internet.

"People using the Internet for political information are more likely to be mistrustful or traditional media, and are more likely to report feeling that other people are not helpful...These variables suggest an element of cynicism influencing media choice." (219)

Bimber did not follow up strongly after this point, but one would infer that this "element of cynicism" is one of the most important factors influencing the relationship between the Internet and political life. Although it is mainly reserved for those with access and education, the "blogging" phenomenon is certainly an alternative to our traditional media sources. Moreover, it is almost unquestionably a reflection of the growing sentiment among these disgruntled individuals that they are but another powerless voice ostracized from the mainstream forum of political expression. The Internet, therefore, has become their most prized possession. A new arena has opened up for this group of agnostics. A recent New York Times Magazine lead story (Fear and Laptops on the Campaign Trail, Sep. 26, 2004) is the best analysis/coverage regarding the political impact of the movement I have read thus far (see attached sources).

"The Impact of the Internet on Civic Life: An Early Assessment" Governance.com William A. Galston: Brookings, 2002

Galston argues in his essay that when assessing the impact of Internet on community life, we must expect traditional market forces and theories to have a profound effect on social patterns pertaining to the technology. Much like the development and dispersion of television and telephone technologies, the Internet should expect to encounter certain progressions and digressions in its effort to disseminate information affectively. (He has a variety of graphs aiding the argument here.) Similarly, we must also expect cultural assumptions and trends to shape our usage as well.

He then goes on to address the role of the online community, noting that online groups are now the second most frequently interactive activity behind e-mail. This is a good source to look to when analyzing the online community's relevance to human interaction/social bonding and the question of whether or not it constitutes a real community.

Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice Edited by McCaughey and Ayers: Routledge, 2003.

In general, this book seemed like the best source addressing the efficacy of individual/community Internet activism.

Specifically:

Ðo the process and effect that Internet protests have on government organizations and the "empowerment"