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.

Providing essential critical perspective, Codifying Cyberspace presents a thorough exploration of the issues involved in self-regulation of the internet. Following recent European directives - including the 2007 Audiovisual Media Services Directive - self-regulation is being promoted as the means for regulating the range of 'harms' and conflicts associated with the new media, from gambling to pornography, but does it really work?

Presenting the results of a three year Oxford University study funded by the European Commission, Codifying Cyberspace looks at self-regulation in practice, in a variety of countries across Europe, North America and elsewhere, getting beyond the normal discussions of codes to analyze their implications for fundamental rights of freedom of expression, and their position in particular political and cultural contexts. It also examines the problems of balancing private censorship against fundamental rights to freedom of expression and privacy for media users.

This book is the first full-scale study of self-regulation and codes of conduct in these fast-moving new media sectors and will be an indispensable guide to all those with a general interest in media policy and regulation at a time where regulation is being replaced with industry and user level self-regulation.

This book is the first full-length study available in English to trace the extraordinary history of the Italian Northern Leagues during the 1980s and 1990s. At a time when the postwar First Republic entered a crisis amid corruption scandals, the Leagues acted as one of the main protest actors and grew at an unprecedented rate.
Drawing on electoral and survey data, existing research, eyewitness accounts of protest events and interviews with activists and leaders, this book provides the definitive account of the movement. Damian Tambini analyses why the movement was so successful in mobilising support, and focuses on its most novel aspect: its use of nationalism. The new regionalist movements in Northern Italy, which were unified into the Northern League in 1990, had a huge influence on Italian politics during the period.
Written for scholars interested in nationalism, ethnicity and citizenship; and for specialists in European Studies, Italian and ethnic studies, Nationalism in Italian Politics draws on the best Italian and international research to thoroughly analyse the movement, and update classic studies of nationalism in the age of media spectacle.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203164555

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

This book is the first full-length study available in English to trace the extraordinary history of the Italian Northern Leagues during the 1980s and 1990s. At a time when the postwar First Republic entered a crisis amid corruption scandals, the Leagues acted as one of the main protest actors and grew at an unprecedented rate.
Drawing on electoral and survey data, existing research, eyewitness accounts of protest events and interviews with activists and leaders, this book provides the definitive account of the movement. Damian Tambini analyses why the movement was so successful in mobilising support, and focuses on its most novel aspect: its use of nationalism. The new regionalist movements in Northern Italy, which were unified into the Northern League in 1990, had a huge influence on Italian politics during the period.
Written for scholars interested in nationalism, ethnicity and citizenship; and for specialists in European Studies, Italian and ethnic studies, Nationalism in Italian Politics draws on the best Italian and international research to thoroughly analyse the movement, and update classic studies of nationalism in the age of media spectacle.

Across the globe, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft have accumulated power in ways that existing regulatory and intellectual frameworks struggle to comprehend. A consensus is emerging that the power of these new digital monopolies is unprecedented, and that it has important implications for journalism, politics, and society. It is increasingly clear that democratic societies require new legal and conceptual tools if they are to adequately understand, and if necessary check the economic might of these companies. Equally, that we need to better comprehend the ability of such firms to control personal data and to shape the flow of news, information, and public opinion. In this volume, Martin Moore and Damian Tambini draw together the world's leading researchers to examine the digital dominance of technologies platforms and look at the evidence behind the rising tide of criticism of the tech giants. In fifteen chapters, the authors examine the economic, political, and social impacts of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft, in order to understand the different facets of their power and how it is manifested. Digital Dominance is the first interdisciplinary volume on this topic, contributing to a conversation which is critical to maintaining the health of democracies across the world.

Can the Internet regulate itself? Faced with a range of 'harms' and conflicts associated with the new media a " from gambling to pornography a " many governments have resisted the temptation to regulate, opting instead to encourage media providers to develop codes of conduct and technical measures to regulate themselves.

Codifying Cyberspace looks at media self-regulation in practice, in a variety of countries. It also examines the problems of balancing private censorship against fundamental rights to freedom of expression and privacy for media users. This book is the first full-scale study of self-regulation and codes of conduct in these fast-moving new media sectors and is the result of a three-year Oxford University study funded by the European Commission.

Selected chapters from this book are published open access and free to read or download from Oxford Scholarship Online, https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/. Since Digital Dominance was published in 2018, a global consensus has emerged that technology platforms should be regulated. Governments from the United States to Australia have sought to reduce the power of these platforms and curtail the dominance of a few, yet regulatory responses remain fragmented, with some focused solely on competition while others seek to address issues around harm, privacy, and freedom of expression. Regulating Big Tech condenses the vibrant tech policy debate into a toolkit for the policy maker, legal expert, and academic seeking to address one of the key issues facing democracies today: platform dominance and its impact on society. Contributors explore elements of the toolkit through comprehensive coverage of existing and future policy on data, antitrust, competition, freedom of expression, jurisdiction, fake news, elections, liability, and accountability, while also identifying potential policy impacts on global communication, user rights, public welfare, and economic activity. With original chapters from leading academics and policy experts, Regulating Big Tech sets out a policy framework that can address interlocking challenges of contemporary tech regulation and offer actionable solutions for our technological future.

This volume brings together leading scholars in the field who examine the complex and growing debate on citizenship. The contributors systematically address the ambiguities of citizenship and confront the growing marketization of citizenship.