Reinvigorating Democracy? British Politics and the Internet

This title was first published in 2000. This volume examines the extent to which digital technology, such as the World Wide Web, e-mail and developing database software, are being used within the political institutions and organization. The focus is on the UK political system with some reference to the US. The chapters cover central themes surrounding British politics and the use of the Internet and other emerging technologies. Topics include an overview of the development and use of the Internet and its influence, the impact on central and local government, promoting better democratic citizenship, the use of information communication technologies by political parties, the implications of Internet and e-mail use by pressure groups to aid campaigning, and many more.

List of Figures and Tables, List of Contributors, Acknowledgements, List of Abbreviations, Introduction, 1. ‘Perfect Information, Perfect Democracy, Perfect Competition’: Politics and the Impact of New ICTs, 2. Whitehall On-line: Joined-up Government?, 3. Local Government and ICTs: 21st Century Governance?, 4. Parliament in the Information Age: The Case of Westminster and Holyrood, 5. The Courts, the Internet and Citizen Participation, 6. British Party Activity in Cyberspace: New Media, Same Impact?, 7. Environmentalists and the Net: Pressure Groups, New Social Movements and New ICTs, 8. The Web Wars: The European Commission and British Governments’ Policy Responses to the Internet, 9. Policing the Internet: Concerns for Cyber-Rights, 10. The Political Impact of the Internet: The American Experience, 11. Conclusions: Modernising without Democratising?, Bibliography, Index

Gibson, Rachel K.; Ward, Stephen