ABSTRACT
There is a great deal of speculation about the democratic potential of computer mediated communication systems. Some of this talk is Utopian and attributes a kind of intrinsic democratization to the technologies of communication. This chapter explores the need for connecting theories of democracy with theories of communication in order to allow new communication technologies to contribute to the expansion of democracy and the empowerment of more people. Rhetorical claims and research findings regarding the electronic mail system at the White House in Washington, DC, serve as a case study of official arguments made regarding the power of communication technology to enhance democracy. Much of the rhetoric about electronic democratization operates with Athenian conceptions of democracy. Electronic democratization through new communication technologies is only possible if grounded in a theory of democratic communication. The key contribution to the evolution of theories of democracy was their confidence in rational and deliberative inquiry and choice.
