Does the internet create democracy?

Abstract

Intense interest abounds regarding the Internet's potential to contribute to, or assume primary responsibility for, a new era of participatory democracy and revitalization of the public sphere. Metaphors of the American frontier inform much of the debate and policy making surrounding these ideas. As its use gradually expands into middle‐income groups, lower‐income groups and non‐English speakers, the Internet could encourage participatory democracy in a revitalized public sphere, but only if governments are cooperative ‐ a fairly unlikely prospect. This article reviews certain promising aspects of the Internet, as a site for a revitalised public sphere, including interactive capabilities and capacity to promulgate expanded ranges of views.

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