Is information technology enhancing democracy? Developments in information technology and the Internet are taking place at an almost bewildering pace. Such improvements, however, are believed to present opportunities for improving the responsiveness and accountability of political institutions and enhancing citizen participation. In this text the theoretical arguments for and against "electronic democracy" and the potential of information and communication technology are closely examined. The book is underpinned by a series of case studies in the US and Europe that demonstrate the application of "electronic democracy" in a number of city and civic projects. The book aims to provide a balanced and considered evaluation of the potential for "electronic democracy" based on empirical research.

Contents:
1. Electronic Democracy and the Civic Networking Movement in Context 2. Virtually Going Places: Square Hopping in Amsterdam's Digital City 3. Back to the Future of Democracy? New Technologies, Civic Networks and Direct Democracy in Greece 4. Berlin in the Net: Prospects of Cyberdemocracy from above and from below 5. Civic Networking and Universal Rights to Connectivity: Bologna 6. An Internet Resource for Neighborhoods 7. The First Amendment On-Line: Santa Monica's Public Electronic Network 8. Manchester: Democratic Implications of an Economic Initiative? 9. 'Cybercities', Electronic Emocracy and the Public Sphere: Opportunities and Challenges