Ever wondered what James Madison would tell us if he could send us e-mail from beyond the grave? Well, now you can find out, in democracy.com? Governance in a Networked World.

A collection of papers and commentaries originally produced for a faculty retreat in July 1998 hosted by the Kennedy School’s Visions of Governance in the Twenty-First Century Project, democracy.com? examines the impacts information technologies are having on various aspects of democratic governance – such as representation, community, politics, bureaucracy, and sovereignty. Fifteen scholars, primarily but not exclusively from the Kennedy School and from a variety of disciplines, offer a balanced and sometimes skeptical look at the transformations that the proliferation of information and the ubiquity of computer networks are making in our basic institutions and processes of governance.

Arthur Applbaum, for example – a professor of political ethics -- speculates about the effects of the Internet on the ideal of deliberative or "Madisonian" democracy. Demonstrating the power of this new medium, "James Madison" (a.k.a. professor Dennis Thompson) fires off a response -- from the domain "founding.gov" – correcting Applbaum’s interpretation of his views on faction and the ability or inability of new technologies to mitigate its deleterious effects.

William Galston takes a skeptical view of the ability of true communities -- relationships among groups of people characterized by affective ties and mutual obligation -- to form on the Internet. Pippa Norris and Elaine Kamarck use empirical research to explore whether use of the Internet is changing political campaigning, for candidates or voters. Jane Fountain and Jerry Mechling write about the evolving nature of bureaucracy, from a Weberian system of control to a networked model. And Joseph Nye and Robert Keohane update their seminal work on power and interdependence in world politics for the Information Age.

The essays in democracy.com? are meant to provoke thought and further research about issues and choices which will be critical to the future of democratic governance.

Reviewers' Comments

"This is the best essay collection yet on a topic of critical importance: how the Internet is shaping and changing public life.  These leading scholars ask all the right questions in a jargon-free style that will provoke academics, wake up policymakers, and engage everyday readers.  A much-needed contribution."

Andrew L. Shapiro, Director, Aspen Institute Internet Policy Project; author, The Control Revolution: How the Internet is Putting Individuals in Charge and Changing the World We Know"

"The central lesson of technology in our time is this: The Internet Changes Everything. The lesson applies to the economy, education, community, individualism and – as this book brilliantly explains – democracy. Whether the Internet Effect renews our democracy or challenges the success of the famous American experiment is the subject of these important essays. Every citizen should mark these insights and act on their guidance if the 21^st century is to be the greatest era of opportunity, equality and egalitarian governance in the history of humanity."

Reed Hundt, former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission

"This broad ranging collection of essays by some of the most significant thinkers about governance in our time offers a powerful balance to the abstract theorizing of too much of the talk about the net. This book is filled with ideas as well as practical perspective, and will be essential reading for those who will confront the questions of governance that cyberspace will present."

Lawrence Lessig, Professor, Harvard Law School

"The Net is transforming commerce, business models and the economy. Expect changes of similar scope in the business of government, the nature of governance and the relationship between citizens and the state. If you care about democracy, read this book! And send another copy to someone in government who represents you!"

Don Tapscott, author, The Digital Economy

"Drawing on studies of online campaigning, digital bureaucracy, electronic globalization, and even an emailed contribution by James Madison himself, Kamarck and Nye have assembled a timely and provocative analysis of the challenge to democratic governance in the Information Age."

W. Russell Neuman, Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania

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