Rebooting American Politics: The Internet Revolution

by Jason Gainous, Kevin M. Wagner

Overview

Going beyond theory and guess based forecasts; this book systematically explores and measures the implications of the growing use of the internet in the American political landscape. Using current election data, the authors specifically challenge the predominant conjecture that the impact of new technology will not affect the electoral outcomes and illustrate that the use of the internet is causing a marked shift in not just who votes, but who wins.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442210516
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/16/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	798 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jason B. Gainous is assistant professor at University of Louisville. Kevin M. Wagner is Associate Director of the Jack Miller Forum at Florida Atlantic University.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Evolution, Revolution and the Internet
Chapter 2: A Descriptive Summary of the Measurement and Story
Chapter 3: The Digital Political Public: Information Gathering, Political Knowledge, and the Digital Divide
Chapter 4: Balloting Online: Voting and the Internet
Chapter 5: Bowling Online: The Internet and the New Social Capital
Chapter 6: The Internet: Two One-Sided Information Flows?
Chapter 7: Click and Donate: The Return of the Small Donor to Campaigns
Chapter 8: Is Anyone Listening? The Online Campaign
Chapter 9: Evolution, Revolution and the Internet Revisited
Appendix
Endnotes
References

Editorial Reviews

The authors of Rebooting American Politics are not constrained by the tired heuristics, often first constructed in the 1990s, used by most scholars to comprehend the role of information technology in American politics. Instead, in each chapter they bring fresh perspective, theory, and underutilized empirical data to answer a number of the most timely and important questions on this topic. This captivating book is vital reading for those with an interest in understanding many of the key transformations of contemporary American politics.

Brian S. Krueger

Gainous (Univ. of Louisville) and Wagner (Florida Atlantic Univ.) clearly want to legitimize their assessment of the Internet as a "revolution" in politics as asserted in their title. Going beyond speculation and polemics, they valiantly attempt to back up their assertion with empirical data testing of hypotheses. Given the limitations of the data available from Pew Research Center surveys and localized student surveys, they are relatively successful. A number of key questions remain unanswered, but some new insights stand out. Some of the findings seem inconsistent both among samples and categories. For example, Hispanics are high Internet users, but this usage does not correlate with increased participation. Using technological change as an independent variable presents numerous challenges, many of which are frankly admitted. Placing the analysis in the context of previous research is helpful. The detailed methodological discussions within the book interrupt smooth reading, which might put off some readers. The discussion pays considerable attention to the causes and consequences of Internet usage for political purposes by the haves and the have-nots and how this might distort democratic government.

Choice Reviews

This is an important contribution to our understanding of modern political campaigns. Gainous and Wagner have found out that the electronic communication is important to American politics. We now know, definitively, that politicians are media and Internet savvy. Covering balloting, social interaction, and fund-raising, they have thoroughly covered their definition of internet politics. I applaud their attention to detail, organization, and focus. Readers will enjoy the many insights contained herein.

Jeff Gill

Gainous (Univ. of Louisville) and Wagner (Florida Atlantic Univ.) clearly want to legitimize their assessment of the Internet as a "revolution" in politics as asserted in their title. Going beyond speculation and polemics, they valiantly attempt to back up their assertion with empirical data testing of hypotheses. Given the limitations of the data available from Pew Research Center surveys and localized student surveys, they are relatively successful. A number of key questions remain unanswered, but some new insights stand out. Some of the findings seem inconsistent both among samples and categories. For example, Hispanics are high Internet users, but this usage does not correlate with increased participation. Using technological change as an independent variable presents numerous challenges, many of which are frankly admitted. Placing the analysis in the context of previous research is helpful. The detailed methodological discussions within the book interrupt smooth reading, which might put off some readers. The discussion pays considerable attention to the causes and consequences of Internet usage for political purposes by the haves and the have-nots and how this might distort democratic government.

Choice

Gainous (Univ. of Louisville) and Wagner (Florida Atlantic Univ.) clearly want to legitimize their assessment of the Internet as a "revolution" in politics as asserted in their title. Going beyond speculation and polemics, they valiantly attempt to back up their assertion with empirical data testing of hypotheses. Given the limitations of the data available from Pew Research Center surveys and localized student surveys, they are relatively successful. A number of key questions remain unanswered, but some new insights stand out. Some of the findings seem inconsistent both among samples and categories. For example, Hispanics are high Internet users, but this usage does not correlate with increased participation. Using technological change as an independent variable presents numerous challenges, many of which are frankly admitted. Placing the analysis in the context of previous research is helpful. The detailed methodological discussions within the book interrupt smooth reading, which might put off some readers. The discussion pays considerable attention to the causes and consequences of Internet usage for political purposes by the haves and the have-nots and how this might distort democratic government.

CHOICE