All voices heard?: The participatory web and American democracy

This thesis is a cultural and textual analysis of the role of participatory web technologies in American politics. It begins with an examination of popular and academic thought regarding democracy and an explanation of terminology and theoretical assumptions. It uses social and political theory alongside cultural studies scholarship to argue for a critical reassessment of the potential roles of participatory web technology in the service of democracy.;The thesis is divided into four chapters. Chapter One introduces the subject and provides an overview of social and political scholarship. Chapter Two studies the participatory web's effect on journalism, using three website genres as an analytical lens. Chapter Three analyzes the wiki interface and its use in politics and knowledge production, focusing on two large-scale wilds as example texts. Chapter Four examines the influence of corporate media and consumerist ideology on participatory web behavior.