Electronic democracy in America: The Internet and participation in American local politics

The dissertation is an inquiry analyzing how Internet use is changing politics. This project weaves a Tocquevillian theme through its engagement with contemporary theories of governance and political participation. It takes a micropolitcal approach focusing on political behavior and engagement with civil society comparatively across online and offline environments. Data analyzed in the dissertation consists of two original datasets: a national (US) survey of technology use and attitudes and a semiotic analysis of local government websites. There are two central questions driving the dissertation: First, is the Internet fostering increased democratic inclusion? Second, does online civil society help "make democracy work"?;The first question driving the dissertation is whether the Internet facilitates political inclusion? The research presented here indicates that the majority of online interactions between residents and their governments are not political participation. Furthermore, those who participate online are largely the same people who participate offline. However, we find that compared to those who participate offline, those who participate online tend to be younger, newer to the community, and have lower household incomes. These findings are particularly striking given the salience of socioeconomic stratification in the literature on participation-a concern magnified by the digital divide. These results indicate that over time, we might find a lessening of participatory inequalities.;Second, the dissertation analyzes some key concerns of the literature on civil society in regards to the Internet. A variety of authors have argued that there is a symbiotic relationship between civil society and the strength of democratic governance. The dissertation investigates whether online community life can also strengthen ties between the political community and the government. The findings indicate that such ties are forged primarily by interactions with political groups and that other forms of community engagement are largely unrelated to political participation. Furthermore, this research indicates to the extent nonpolitical forms of community life strengthen democratic participation, this holds primarily only for those who take quasi-political, leadership roles. This evidence suggests that while only certain forms of community life help "make democracy work," the Internet may be a viable place for such community life to flourish.