The Internet and Public Participation: State Legislature Web Sites and the Many Definitions of Interactivity

The interactive nature of the Internet is seen by some as a technological innovation that might boost participation in politics and civic affairs. That potential, however, is clouded by imprecise definitions of interactivity found among scholars and practitioners alike. Evaluation of state legislatu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of science, technology & society technology & society, 2005-02, Vol.25 (1), p.85-93
Main Authors: Ferber, Paul, Foltz, Franz, Pugliese, Rudy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizen Participation
Citizenship Education
Definitions
Interaction
Internet
Legislative Bodies
Political Participation
Politics
State Government
States (Political Subdivisions)
Web Sites
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Summary:The interactive nature of the Internet is seen by some as a technological innovation that might boost participation in politics and civic affairs. That potential, however, is clouded by imprecise definitions of interactivity found among scholars and practitioners alike. Evaluation of state legislature Web sites found them to not be very interactive under most definitions of the term. Chief technology officers of the legislatures appear to differ as to which site features promote interactivity. The current state of these sites may do more to encourage civic engagement than to promote interactivity.
ISSN:0270-4676
1552-4183
DOI:10.1177/0270467604271245