'Improving democratic boundaries through the internet Essay\r'

'Introduction The lucre has changed the way m any(prenominal) things be done. The traditional methods suffer been scrapped and newer more(prenominal) efficient and effective means are constantly being offered through and on the profit. The unique(p) business leader of the lucre to render geographical boundaries ancient exclusivelyows anyone to door an almost infinite pool of learning and to overly share that breeding with bring out regulation or curb (Kalir 2002). The speed with which this in hurlation and commute of ideas is facilitated by the profit makes it a potent medium for elective plans.\r\nGiven these benefits and advances that the internet has offered, it comes as no strike then that the internet has akin(predicate)ly allowed popular boundaries to amend by allowing for better communication and exchange of ideas. This talk about on the effect of the internet on better the democratic boundaries will therefore strive to give tongue to that the skil l of the internet to get out traditional boundaries and fend offriers to a free exchange of ideas and information has improved democratic boundaries disrespect the attempts of government to restrain or require this medium.\r\nBypassing Traditional Boundaries As mentioned previously, the internet allows any mortal to access information from any place and also access any information avail satisfactory online. The ability of this medium to encourage the free exchange of ideas mingled with mint of any race or refinement makes it easier to cross and overcome whatever boundaries may name been set in place traditionally (Lessig 2000).\r\nâ€Å"digital country” which is the â€Å"use of digital communication technologies to stir the democratic performance by, among other things, making the serve up more accessible, increasing and enhancing citizen interest in familiar policy decision making, and increasing government transparency and accountability” plays a vit al role in bypassing these traditional boundaries and improving the existing democratic boundaries by inviting democratic participation (Lim 2006).\r\nOne of the reasons why the internet has been so achievementful at bypassing and improving these barriers is because of the event that through the internet, â€Å"convergence” is achieved at a relatively low cost (Mitchell 2002). This means that sight from all walks of life are non necessarily throttle by finances and such as to trammel net or inhibit them from act in the democratic abut or in digital land. This in effects allows for a more mixed crapper of participants and allows for a richer exchange of ideas and a greater participation from a wider demographic base (Lim 2006).\r\nPut simply, the relatively low cost of access to the internet at the present allows for more throng to participate and also increases the amount of information available that is vital to the success of â€Å"digital democracy:” Th e greater scope for freedom, autonomy, creativity, and coaction that the internet provides makes it a successful tool in bypassing the traditional boundaries and constraints that have prevented quite a little in participating in the democratic process and gum olibanum by providing for such the existing democratic barriers are improved.\r\n detached Exchange of Ideas and Information Governments realized that as the internet was maturing there would be a need to control and regulate access to the internet as wholesome as to control the content of the information on the internet (Simon 2001). Most of the regulations however have proved to be ineffective as more and more people were able to find means to bypass them (see bypassing traditional boundaries) and thus led to the formation of â€Å" kindly movements” on the internet which is a key to the usefulness of democratic boundaries (Lim 2006).\r\nSocial movements are broad social alliances of people who are connected thr ough a shared interest in blocking or promoting social change (Trippi 2004). On the internet, with the amount of information available and the number of people participating, it is but a natural result that people who share similar beliefs form their own â€Å"societies” or those who do not have any firm beliefs are able to find something which they do subscribe to.\r\nAccording to Lim, â€Å"The ability of the internet to provide many people access to forums for deliberation on a range of human beings issues and the involvement of decision-makers in online forums assure participants that their examples will be heard. Their efforts contribute to building a new semipublic sphere where rationality rules, citizen voices are heard, and public officials prudence the demos. (Lim 2006)” By allowing more people to participate and exchange ideas freely, support for proper movements to improve the democratic feature of any state, can quickly be generated thus ensuring the s uccess of the democratic process.\r\nYet as pointed out by one writer, the limitations of such actions are quiesce determined by the effective sphere of baffle and control of the government over the geographical and semipolitical terrain (Barlow 2001). Improving Democratic Boundaries As shown by the arguments above, the internet indeed improves democratic boundaries and presents the opportunity to eventually make out a world democracy.\r\nThe boundaries that have traditionally existed to bar or hinder any interaction amid peoples has been bypassed by the internet and thus allowing more people to interact with each other and to mobilize despite the geographical distances of each other. The convergence that this allows makes the generation of any support necessary to improve the democratic process easier and also allows for access to a larger support base. Another factor which has led to the success of the internet in improving democratic boundaries is the fact that it allows for immediate and more exchange of information.\r\nThis then allows more people to interact with each other and also form â€Å"social movements”. These social movements allow people to voice out their ideas collectively and thus improving the chances that their rights are not suppressed and that their voices are heard. The future of democracy on the internet is bright indeed. With the number of people and countries that have access to internet increasing, it is guaranteed that the democratic process will survive despite attempts of certain governments (China) at regulating this medium (Longworth 2001).\r\nStill, time and again, it has been shown that whatever controls and regulations governments attempt to set in place have evermore been bypassed thus ensuring that the future for democracy lies in the internet, in cyberspace. References: Barlow, J. (1996). A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://www. eff. org/~barlow/Declaratio n-Final. hypertext mark-up language. Davis, S. , Elin, B. and Reeher, G. (2002). Click on Democracy: The Internet’s Power to adjustment Political Apathy into Civic Action. Boulder CO: Westview Press. Kalir, E. and Maxwell, E. (2002). Rethinking Boundaries in Cyberspace.\r\nThe Aspen Institute: Communications and Society Program. Lessig, L. (2000). â€Å"Innovation, Regulation, and the Internet. ” American facial expression 11, no. 10. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://www. prospect. org/print/V11/10/lessig-l. html Lim, M. and Kann, M. (2006).\r\nDemocratic Deliberation and Mobilization on the Internet. Annenberg decoct for Communication University of Southern California. Longworth, R. (2001). â€Å"Government Without Democracy. ” American Prospect 12, no. 12. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www. prospect. org/print/V12/12/longworth-r. html. Mitchell, W. (1995).\r\nCity of Bits: Place, Space, and the Infobahn. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from ht tp://cyber. law. harvard. edu/people/reagle/inet-quotations-19990709. html. Simon, L. (2001). Democracy and the Internet: Allies or Adversaries? Woodrow Wilson circle around Press. Trippi, J. (2004). The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the reverse of Everything. Regan Books. â€Å"Political Influentials Online in the 2004 Presidential Campaign. ” (February 5, 2004). Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University.\r\n'