Click On Democracy: The Internet's Power To Change Political Apathy Into Civic Action - Hardcover

Reeher, Grant; Davis, Steve; Elin, Larry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813340055 ISBN 13: 9780813340050

Publisher: Westview Press, 2002

Synopsis

Click on Democracy examines the first national election in which the Internet played a major role. The contributors argue that the Internet's most profound political impact on Election 2000 has largely been missed or underestimated. The reason: the difference it made was more social than electoral, more about building political communities than about generating votes and money.Voter turnout has dwindled over the past forty years, and fewer Americans are involved in civic activities. The real story of the Internet is its emergence as a community builder – under the radar of most political observers who focus on large institutions – in a society that has become politically disengaged and disenchanted. The contributors to Click on Democracy talk at length with the people who are using the Internet in new and effective ways, and who are capitalizing on the Internet's power as a networking tool for civic action. Viewed from this bottom-up perspective, the Internet emerges as an exciting and powerful source of renewal for civic engagement.

About this title

About the Author

Grant Reeher has been teaching a local political internship course every semester for the past three years, and has supervised numerous students in Washington internships over the past ten years. He is also chair of the American Political Science Association's Organized Section on Undergraduate Education, and edits its newsletter, The Political Science Educator.Steve Davis is Associate Professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications.Larry Elin is Assistant Professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, and co-chair of Newhouse's Media and American Democracy Institute.Grant Reeher is Associate Professor of Political Science at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and also a Senior Research Associate at Maxwell's Center for Policy Research. Steve Davis is Associate Professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications.Larry Elin is Assistant Professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, and co-chair of Newhouse's Media and American Democracy Institute.Grant Reeher is Associate Professor of Political Science at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and also a Senior Research Associate at Maxwell's Center for Policy Research.

Reviews

Syracuse University professors Davis, Ellin and Reeher have taken it upon themselves to dispel the myth of the creepy, asocial Internet chat-room user by exploring how online communities leapt into action and flourished during the lengthy and confusing 2000 presidential election. While very informative, the book suffers from the penchant of the authors to spend too much time focusing on the life stories of a handful of web provocateurs-making the work drag as the bios progress to no real payoff. But the exposition of how politicians used (or failed to use) the Internet during the 2000 elections and the inside story of the political websites that sprang up to cover the goings-on is itself worth the price of admission. Despite the "digital divide" that still frustrates web activists, the authors give a hopeful account of the future of grassroots political action and community building on the Internet.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Westview Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813340055
• ISBN 13: 9780813340050
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304