The Internet and Politics: Citizens, voters and activists (Hardcover) by Sarah Oates, Diana Owen, Rachel K Gibson

ISBN: 9780415347846 Condition: New Hard cover Language: English Pages: 240 Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 240 p. Contains: Unspecified, Illustrations, black & white, Tables, black & white. Democratization and Autocratization Studies. This volume explores the nature of the Internet's impact on civil society, addressing the following central questions: is the Internet qualitatively different from the more traditional forms of the media? has the Internet demonstrated real potential to improve civil society through a wider provision of information, an enhancement of communication between government and citizen, or via better state transparency? does the Internet pose a threat to the coherence of civil society as people are encouraged to abandon shared media experiences and pursue narrow interests? in authoritarian states, does the Internet function as a beacon for free speech or as another tool for propaganda?