Overview

Political web sites and e-mail lists were novelties in 1996. By 2000, they were a news trend. By 2004, they will be a part of every electoral and policy campaign. News-seekers, activists, and decision makers increasingly turn to the Net as a matter of course. The Civic Web delineates the basic issues, opportunities, and dilemmas posed by the introduction of computer-networked communications into U.S. national politics. Leading scholars from several academic disciplines join pioneer practitioners of online advocacy, discussion, and law in considering how the Internet can host, and even advance, enlightened self-government by a free people in a constitutional republic.

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9780742501935

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Reviews

David M. Anderson and Michael Cornfield have assembled a valuable time capsule of the hopes and fears for electronic democracy. Will changing the media change the polity? A diverse group of scholars and practitioners provide assessments and predictions about the ways that the Internet may revive, reorder, or stifle political involvement in America.--Samuel L. Popkin

I'm an avid grassroots politician and I highly recommend this book. It helps every citizen think about what a civic space on the Internet should look like and whether Internet connections are an adequate replacement for grassroots. -- Pat Schroeder, former member, U. S. House of Representatives The Civic Web is a wonderful collection of very thoughtful commentaries and research studies about the uses of the Internet for political practice and democratic institutions. For anyone interested in the digital media and their likely impact on American political culture, this is an important and informative book. -- Ellen Wartella, University of Texas, Austin For all those who scoffed at the Internet's power to change political communications, The Civic Web is a smack with a well-written and argued two-by-four. Professors Anderson and Cornfield have assembled the latest thinking on why the interactivity of the Web will make a difference in our democracy and political discourse. Neither overblown nor understated, these essays provide a sharp and realistic assessment of the state of play today, and it's a hopeful one for those who want to be optimistic about the future of American politics. -- Michael McCurry, press secretary to former President Bill Clinton Thanks to David Anderson and Michael Cornfield, we finally have a book of serious thinking about politics and the Internet. The Civic Web is a major achievement and will be the starting point for any discussion about public policy in the Internet era. Anyone who cares about government or technology needs this book. -- Rick White, former member, U.S. House of Representatives The editors have produced a book rich in ideas and theory. They have assembled in one volume what is probably the most eminent group of observers yet to comment on this topic. The format makes for brisk reading and a broadly stimulating book. It succeeds well at presenting a survey of its subject and identifying for readers a variety of hypotheses and positions for further exploration. The result is a success and easily one of the most useful books yet on the topic. Political Science Quarterly David M. Anderson and Michael Cornfield have assembled a valuable time capsule of the hopes and fears for electronic democracy. Will changing the media change the polity? A diverse group of scholars and practitioners provide assessments and predictions about the ways that the Internet may revive, reorder, or stifle political involvement in America. -- Samuel L. Popkin, University of California, San Diego, and author of The Reasoning Voter It [the book] is certainly worth a look, and might make a useful supplementary text for courses dealing with civic engagement and online politics. Rhetoric and Public Affairs

I'm an avid grassroots politician and I highly recommend this book. It helps every citizen think about what a civic space on the Internet should look like and whether Internet connections are an adequate replacement for grassroots. -- Pat Schroeder, former member, U. S. House of Representatives The Civic Web is a wonderful collection of very thoughtful commentaries and research studies about the uses of the Internet for political practice and democratic institutions. For anyone interested in the digital media and their likely impact on American political culture, this is an important and informative book. -- Ellen Wartella, University of Texas, Austin For all those who scoffed at the Internet's power to change political communications, The Civic Web is a smack with a well-written and argued two-by-four. Professors Anderson and Cornfield have assembled the latest thinking on why the interactivity of the Web will make a difference in our democracy and political discourse. Neither overblown nor understated, these essays provide a sharp and realistic assessment of the state of play today, and it's a hopeful one for those who want to be optimistic about the future of American politics. -- Michael McCurry, press secretary to former President Bill Clinton Thanks to David Anderson and Michael Cornfield, we finally have a book of serious thinking about politics and the Internet. The Civic Web is a major achievement and will be the starting point for any discussion about public policy in the Internet era. Anyone who cares about government or technology needs this book. -- Rick White, former member, U.S. House of Representatives The editors have produced a book rich in ideas and theory. They have assembled in one volume what is probably the most eminent group of observers yet to comment on this topic. The format makes for brisk reading and a broadly stimulating book. It succeeds well at presenting a survey of its subject and identifying for readers a variety of hypotheses and positions for further exploration. The result is a success and easily one of the most useful books yet on the topic. Political Science Quarterly David M. Anderson and Michael Cornfield have assembled a valuable time capsule of the hopes and fears for electronic democracy. Will changing the media change the polity? A diverse group of scholars and practitioners provide assessments and predictions about the ways that the Internet may revive, reorder, or stifle political involvement in America. -- Samuel L. Popkin, University of California, San Diego, and author of The Reasoning Voter It [the book] is certainly worth a look, and might make a useful supplementary text for courses dealing with civic engagement and online politics. Rhetoric & Public Affairs

Author Information

David M. Anderson is associate research professor at The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. He directs the Democracy Online Project's national task force, and contributes op-eds frequently to the Baltimore Sun. Michael Cornfield is associate research professor at The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. He directs research for the Democracy Online Project, and writes a monthly column on online politics for Campaigns and Elections magazine.

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