Voice and Equality: The State of Electronic Democracy in Britain
	Quantity in Basket:none Code: 978-1-61289-117-0 Price:$31.95 Title: Voice and Equality Sub-title: The State of Electronic Democracy in Britain Author(s): Wainer Lusoli Publish Date: April 2013 Pages: 288 Format: Paper
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This book is broadly concerned with the issue of electronic democracy (e-democracy): It asks whether the Internet strengthens democracy in advanced industrial polities, and if so how and under what conditions. It seeks to understand (a) whether and how the Internet modifies the existing structure of political inequality; (b) whether and how the Internet alters the context of traditional political action; and (c) whether the Internet holds a democratizing potential and what is its nature. More generally, the book contributes toward the clarification of the ongoing debate on e-democracy, by examining the discourse surrounding the evolution of the issue. It reviews a large portion of the literature on online political engagement, organized in three main approaches. It presents and analyzes original data on online political engagement to test the state of e-democracy in Britain. Finally, it advances a theoretical framework for the understanding of the “real” digital divide, drawing on the theory of political participation. THE QUEST FOR DEMOCRACY IN CYBERSPACE. The Prevalence of the Internet. Approaches to Electronic Democracy. Research Questions. Data and Methodology. Overview of the Book. THE E-DEMOCRACY DISCOURSE. Introduction. Online Politics and Electronic Democracy. E-Democracy and Political Momentum. The E-Democracy Discourse in Britain. The Role of the New Media Industry in the Construction of the Discourses. Resilience of the E-Democracy Discourse. Conclusions. MACRO AND MESO-LEVEL APPROACHES TO E-DEMOCRACY. Introduction. Three Approaches to Electronic Democracy. The Democratic Internet. Political Characteristics of the Internet. Archetypes of E-Democracy. Macro Obstacles to E-Democracy. The Normalization Critique. The Theoretical Common Ground of Normalization. The Empirical Core of Normalization. Conclusion. MICRO-LEVEL APPROACHES TO E-DEMOCRACY. Introduction. Why Study the User. Existing Surveys of Online Political Engagement. Resources, Uses and Effects of the Political Internet. The Resources of Online Participation. Uses Studies: The Complexity of the Online Political Experience. The Search for Effects at Individual Level. Conclusions: From the Review of Micro-Level Studies. Conclusions: Toward the Empirical Definition of E-Democracy. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION. Introduction. The Theory of Participation. Theory of Participation: Main Elements. Participation and the Study of Electronic Democracy. Conclusions. A METHODOLOGY FOR ONLINE PARTICIPATION. Introduction. The Survey Component. Dimensional Analysis and Case Component. Case Study and Electronic Democracy. Cases and Their Selection. The DF Consultation. Liberal Democrat Young Activists and Age Concern E-Activists Network. Conclusions. THE STRUCTION OF ONLINE POLITICAL INEQUALITY. Introduction. The British Internet Audience: Technical, Social and Political Profiles. Online Participation and Contacting. The Online Structure of Political Inequality. Conclusions. THE MODES AND DIMENSIONS OF E-DEMOCRACY. Introduction. The Morphology of the Online Political Space. The Offline Predictors of Online Modes of Engagement. Dimensions of Participation: Survey Perspective. Conclusions. CASE ANALYSIS OF DIMENSIONALITY. Introduction. Expediency: Initiative, Speed and Duration. Synergy: Access, Interaction, Co-operation. Efficacy: Agenda Setting and Effectiveness. Conclusions. CONCLUSIONS. Contribution of the Book to the E-Democracy Debate. The Individual and the Political Internet. Normalization. The Internet and the Wider Polity. Theory of Participation and Online Engagement. E-Democracy: What Should be Done? Appendixes. Author Index. Subject Index.