Making a Difference : A Comparative View of the Role of the Internet in Election Politics

This book is a cross-national analysis of the role of the internet in national electoral campaigns. It covers an array of electoral and party systems throughout the globe from parliamentary to presidential, party-based to candidate-oriented, multi-party to two-party, and stable party system to dynamic party system. It takes a look at three groups of nations with varying levels of Internet access-those where internet usage is common across demographic groups, those where usage has reached significant levels but not widespread penetration, and those where internet access is still limited to a small elite.

Each chapter is a study of a particular nation, focusing on its electoral and party systems, the accessibility of the Internet to the population, the nature of candidate/party usage, and the effects of the internet on the conduct of campaigns. By reviewing the findings from these studies, Making a Difference draws conclusions about exactly how the internet influences electoral politics.

Richard Davis is professor of political science at Brigham Young University.
Diana Owen is associate professor of political science and director of American studies at Georgetown University.
David Taras is professor of political science at the University of Calgary.
Stephen Ward is a senior lecturer in politics at the European Studies Research Institute, University of Salford, England.