Abstract
CAUGHT IN THE WEB: THE IMPACT OF NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 1 Caught in the Web: The Impact of New Communication Technology on Political Participation Declan O’Briain, Centre for Development Studies, University of Cambridge ow are new communication technologies reshaping political participation today? Popular debate surrounding this topic has been largely polarised: advances in online technology are seen as either a revolutionary and democratizing force or are dismissed as having little impact on current political power structures. Alec Ross, former Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, characterises one side of the argument and is a long-time public advocate of the revolutionary force of new social networking innovations. He argues that the ability for individuals to utilise these new technologies at little to no cost allows them to challenge the hierarchical authority structures that dominate the political system [1]. Early research into the democratising effect of the Internet supported this notion [2], and high profile cases such as the ‘Arab Spring’ and the so-called ‘Twitter Revolution’ in Moldova added to the optimism surrounding this emerging phenomenon [3].
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
