ABSTRACT
Declining civic participation in conventional forms of political involvements has been interpreted as cynicism (e.g., Cappella & Jamieson, 1996, 1997; Fallows, 1996; Patterson, 1993, 1996), television-induced political apathy (Putnam, 1998, 2001), or a simple reaction to information overload (Schudson, 1998). Simultaneously, increasing civic participation in online political forums, blogs, and online public spaces like YouTube, suggests that alternative forms of political activity are in the making. In contrast to traditional forms of political involvement, such as participation in local community affairs, affiliation with local and national organizations, volunteering, and voting, these newer forms of civic engagement point to an electorate that is seeking more innovative and novel ways for fulfilling civic obligations. Thus, information communication technologies are positioned as vehicles through which civic activity can be reinvented.
