Connecting Democracy

The volume is more than a collection of conference papers...it really gets into the nuts and bolts of issues such as policymaker accountability, the current relatively small number of input participants, and the current unequal access to digital resources...[Connecting Democracy] provides a pathway to the future of participatory democracy and deserves serious attention. ~Brad Reid, Computing Reviews

Online consultation and collaboration are the keys to better communications and government performance. Coleman and Shane have put together a distinguished set of thinkers who propose innovative ways to empower citizens, create digital networks, and promote more meaningful forms of electronic democracy. This is not a futuristic vision, but a model of how government can and should operate. ~Darrell M. West, Vice President of Governance Studies, Brookings Institution

Connecting Democracy is a must read for anyone interested in how the Internet has changed the way democracies work. The book makes clear that the Internet can transform governance in much more complex ways than often recognized. ~James N. Druckman, Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science, and Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

This impressive volume draws on experience from around the globe, and raises fundamental questions about the nature of democratic institutions, as well as whether or how technology makes a difference. This is a book that scholars, students and policymakers cannot afford to ignore, because it offers clear thinking and solid evidence on democratic practice for the future. ~Karen Mossberger, Professor, Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago

Online consultation has enormous promise for supporting democratic institutions and processes, but the reality seldom approximates the visions of its champions. A stellar, international set of cyber-realists have assembled this multi-disciplinary collection to explain why this is the case, and what can be done to realize its potential. This is must reading for anyone with a serious interest in democracy and the Internet. ~William H. Dutton, Professor of Internet Studies, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford