1. The Internet and Politics Political Science I

2. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Copyright and Terms of Service Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. These materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of TEA, except under the following conditions: 1) Texas public school districts, charter schools, and Education Service Centers may reproduce and use copies of the Materials and Related Materials for the districts’ and schools’ educational use without obtaining permission from TEA. 2) Residents of the state of Texas may reproduce and use copies of the Materials and Related Materials for individual personal use only, without obtaining written permission of TEA. 3) Any portion reproduced must be reproduced in its entirety and remain unedited, unaltered and unchanged in any way. 4) No monetary charge can be made for the reproduced materials or any document containing them; however, a reasonable charge to cover only the cost of reproduction and distribution may be charged. Private entities or persons located in Texas that are not Texas public school districts, Texas Education Service Centers, or Texas charter schools or any entity, whether public or private, educational or non-educational, located outside the state of Texas MUST obtain written approval from TEA and will be required to enter into a license agreement that may involve the payment of a licensing fee or a royalty. Contact TEA Copyrights with any questions you may have.TEA Copyrights 2

3. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. What are the key features of the Internet? 3

4. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Key Features Widespread Audience 75.6% of American households have a computer (US Census Bureau, 2011) 71.7% of American households use the Internet at home (US Census Bureau, 2011) 4

5. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Key Features (continued) Interactivity Traditional media are unidirectional, unlike the Internet, which supports interactive communication The interactivity allows for quick and easy assimilation and organization of groups of people with similar interests 5

6. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Key Features (continued) Global Scope The Internet is viewed and utilized worldwide Its global nature ensures a wide range of diverse information and opinions Its lack of ownership presents legal challenges regarding which national law it should follow 6

7. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. What are the ways that the Internet is useful for politics? 7

8. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Political Websites There are thousands of political websites on the Internet Governmental (e.g. government agencies, Congress, political parties, universities, interest groups) Non-governmental (e.g. major newspapers, newsmagazines, television and radio networks) Partisan – offer information only from their political parties’ perspectives Non-partisan – offer information from more than one perspective 8

9. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Political Websites (continued) It is the user’s responsibility to evaluate critically the website in order to determine its reliability, accuracy, and currency Reputable websites state the Name of the owner and manager Date of the most recent revision 9

10. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Tracking Legislation Congress.gov (http://beta.congress.gov/)http://beta.congress.gov/ Allows users to search for House and Senate bills Lists contact information for members of Congress The Library of Congress (http://www.gpo.gov/)http://www.gpo.gov/ Provides a summary of the current congressional session’s daily activities Is a database for reports filed by congressional committees Is co-hosted by the Government Printing Office 10

11. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Electronic Mailing Lists Are automated email notifications that provide subscribers with current information about the topic of interest, such as civil liberties or gun control May be found by Conducting an Internet search of the following key terms Political listservs Political discussion groups Visiting the websites of the national offices of the major political parties 11

12. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. E-Government Is provided by all levels of government Includes government-operated websites that provide information and services such as Pay parking tickets Get forms for marriage licenses Register to vote 12

13. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. E-Government (continued) Two examples are Office of E-Government and Information Technology (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/e-gov)http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/e-gov Was established by the 2002 E-Government Act Helps federal agencies coordinate and improve online service for the public The federal government’s official website (www.usa.gov)www.usa.gov Provides access to a wide variety of governmental information Provides links to information about all 50 states Provides convenient ways to contact local, state, and federal representatives 13

14. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. What is the Internet’s impact on the political participation of US citizens? 14

15. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. The Internet’s Impact Communicating with officials Email is the most widely used Internet tool to communicate with officials Congress receives more than one million emails a day (Remy, 2010) 15

16. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. The Internet’s Impact (continued) Action Alerts and Petitions Action alert – a message from an interest group to its members that calls for a specific and immediate response (e.g. contact your congressman) Electronic petition – a mass message that asks for electronic signatures on a request to an official 16

17. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. The Internet’s Impact (continued) Grassroots Websites Are created by individuals supporting their political candidates or beliefs Can cause problems for political parties by creating Misinformation Unwanted associations with extremists Confusion about whether the website is official 17

18. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. The Internet’s Impact (continued) Volunteering Opportunities Are listed on political websites Are available face-to-face or online Political Blogs Are online personal journals that people and groups can use to participate politically Are widely used May be owned and read by anyone Remain largely a tool of the elites with journalistic credentials 18

19. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. The Internet’s Impact (continued) Electronic Voting The 2002 Help America Vote Act Required states to replace old voting methods (e.g. punch cards) Inspired some states and the Department of Defense to experiment with e-voting Supporters focus on the ease and efficiency Opponents focus on the potential for sabotage, vote stealing, and a lack of hard evidence 19

20. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. What are the legal challenges of the Internet? 20

21. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Offensive Content The lack of government regulation allows anyone to post their ideas and opinions, creative or obscene Some important legislation includes Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (1997) – the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression on the Internet Children’s Internet Protection Act (2000) – requires public libraries that receive federal funds to install anti- pornography filters United States v. American Library Association (2003) – the Supreme Court ruled that the law’s filter requirement does not violate library users’ First Amendment rights 21

22. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Taxing E-Commerce E-commerce has increased with the frequency of Internet use States want to tax online sales but cannot because of cumbersome state tax laws A group of states supports a plan to use a single tax rate for all online sales, but technology companies, online retailers, and Congress are resistant 22

23. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2013. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission. Resources McClenaghan, W. A. (2009). Magruder's American Government, Pearson. Remy, Ph.D., R. C. (2010), United States Government: Democracy in Action, Glencoe McGraw-Hill. Wilson, J. Q., Dilulio Jr., J. J., and Bose, M. (2011). American Government Institutions and Policies, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. US Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf Office of E-Government and Information Technology http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/e-gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/e-gov http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily_videos/turkish- teen-talks-about-circumventing-his-countrys-twitter-block/ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily_videos/turkish- teen-talks-about-circumventing-his-countrys-twitter-block/ 23