POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND THE INTERNET: A field essay

The aim of this paper is to review the main questions dealt with by the literature on the effect of Internet on political participation. The paper distinguishes three relevant aspects: the estimation of the impact of Internet on the levels and types of political participation; the analysis of the ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Information, communication & society communication & society, 2009-09, Vol.12 (6), p.860-878
Main Authors: Anduiza, Eva, Cantijoch, Marta, Gallego, Aina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication research
Estimation
Inequality
information and communication technologies
Information technology
Internet
Participation
Political behavior
Political Participation
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The aim of this paper is to review the main questions dealt with by the literature on the effect of Internet on political participation. The paper distinguishes three relevant aspects: the estimation of the impact of Internet on the levels and types of political participation; the analysis of the causal mechanisms that lie behind the relationship between Internet use and participation; and the effect of the Internet on participatory inequalities. We conclude by identifying the aspects on which there is a relative consensus among scholars, the debates surrounding controversial conclusions obtained from different empirical analyses, and those questions where further research seems particularly necessary.
ISSN:1369-118X
1468-4462
DOI:10.1080/13691180802282720