A case study of a Netizen's guide to elections

Political hopefuls learn to use the intrinsic powers of information, democracy and the Internet. Every new information and communication technology seems to garner proposals for applications in politics and governance. Rapid growth in Internet and Web use has stimulated many initiatives aimed at applying information and communication innovations to create what has been called a "digital" "electronic" democracy. This case study reinforces the view that electronic voter guides such as DNet do not provide a quick technical fix to problems of campaign financing and the limited role that issues can sometimes play in voting decisions. DNet's novelty and limited use by Californians in the 1998 primary allowed major candidates to focus on their own Web sites and traditional media. The study demonstrated the Internet can make a difference in the coverage of candidates and issues in political campaigns and elections. Key questions focus on questions like the degree to which information providers increase their editorial role to achieve the critical mass and whether this will make Internet coverage of elections converge toward that of more conventional mass media.