ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the influence of the Internet on US life, particularly politics. It focuses on the role of the Internet in US elections and public policy-making. The Internet has sparked extensive debate particularly about the political consequences of this new communications technology. Internet users were a particularly useful audience for candidates because they included a larger-than-average proportion of actual voters. The Internet is viewed as a vehicle for educating individuals, stimulating citizen participation, measuring public opinion, easing citizen access to government officials, offering a public forum, simplifying voter registration, and even facilitating actual voting. The Internet has affected American politics. Citizens are finding another mode for acquiring information about candidates and elected officials. Candidates and elected officials are using the Internet to send the same messages that they have sought to communicate off-line. The chapter concludes that impact and speculates whether a similar scenario may unfold in the UK.
