ABSTRACT
The state of democracy has been a concern in the established democracies in recent decades, as levels of electoral turnout and party membership have been dwindling and citizens growing increasingly disenchanted with the dated political systems (Norris 1999; Pharr and Putnam 2000; Putnam 2000). The role of the Internet in all of this has become a debated topic (Norris 2001; Jennings and Zeitner 2003; Xenos and Bennett 2007a; Mossberger et al. 2008; Bennett et al. 2008). Initially, optimists claimed the Internet would help revitalize the disaffected citizenries (Ayres 1999; Scheufele and Nisbet 2002; Bennett et al. 2008). However, sceptics have started to doubt the capabilities of the Internet to foster civic mobilization, fearing a digital divide (Norris 2001) or the depoliticizing effects of the Internet (Jennings and Zeitner 2003, p. 312). The implications of the Internet for the state of democracy are still a matter of debate.
