ABSTRACT
This volume provides a comparative analysis of the use of the World Wide Web in countries around the world for political campaign purposes.
Drawing upon a common conceptual framework - the ‘Web sphere,’ and a shared methodological approach called Web feature analysis - in order to examine how the Internet is used by a variety of political actors during periods of electoral activity. Research teams around the world conducted analyses in technologically advanced nations, as well as those with low Internet diffusion, and a variety of countries in the middle range of network penetration, and from a variety of political and cultural contexts. The book represents an important contribution towards gaining a cross-national understanding of the current and emerging impacts of the Internet on political practice. To that end, the contributors collect and analyze data related to the structure for political action and information provision. They examine twelve types of political actors engaged in elections, including candidates, parties, non-governmental organizations, government, media and individual citizens.
Exploring the complex dynamics between politics, culture, and information technology at both the national and global levels, The Internet and National Elections will be of interest to students and researchers of political science, communication studies, international relations, media and Internet studies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|26 pages
Conceptualizing and designing the project
part II|78 pages
Political actors as web producers
chapter 4|17 pages
The Netherlands
chapter 5|17 pages
Slovenian online campaigning during the 2004 European Parliament election
chapter 6|15 pages
The consequence of e-excellence
part III|58 pages
Reaching diverse constituencies via the web
chapter 8|15 pages
Philippines: poli-clicking as politicking
chapter 10|14 pages
Addressing young people online
part IV|78 pages
Political culture and the diffusion of technologies
chapter 13|16 pages
Hungary
chapter 15|16 pages
Roles and regulations
chapter 16|15 pages
Web sphere analysis for political websites
part V|24 pages
Comparisons and conclusions