Additional Links

Democracy is Online   During the 1990s many people, enamored of the possibilities of new technology to transform how we live and work, saw the Internet as able to transform democracy. Steven Clift, former Executive Director of the Minnesota Government Information Access Council, begins this article by pointing out that the Internet isn't any more likely to save democracy than television has been. He continues on to discuss the real issue: The Internet is a tool that citizens--and governments--can use to continue developing democracy. He discusses the political use of the Internet by government, media, advocacy groups, and the private sector and reviews the current state of civic life online. The article first appeared in OnTheInternet a magazine from the Internet Society.

Federalism and Electronic Democracy   This Web site includes an article discussing how electronic media may change civic and political life and many links to Internet resources on e-democracy, direct democracy, community and action, fragmentation and networks, and accountability and representation (the article discusses each of these topic). The article suggests that electronic media have the "potential to shape political processes in new ways..." including encouraging micro-politics, special interest affiliation, horizontal networking, and greater accountability at all stages of the political process.