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Parties, Candidates and Citizens On-Line - Åbo Akademi

Parties, Candidates and Citizens On-Line - Åbo Akademi

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The internet has been argued to affect two corner-<br />

stones of representative democracies; pluralistic<br />

competition between political actors for positions<br />

of power <strong>and</strong> political participation by citizens. Ac-<br />

cording to optimistic visions, smaller political par-<br />

ties would use the internet to campaign on more<br />

equal footings with major parties. The internet, it is<br />

also argued, provides citizens with accessible op-<br />

portunities for political participation <strong>and</strong> engage-<br />

ment which would spur increased political activ-<br />

ity. Less optimistic visions, however, perceive few<br />

changes in both electoral competition <strong>and</strong> politi-<br />

cal participation due to the internet.<br />

This dissertation examines how the internet is<br />

affecting the politics of representative democracies<br />

in times of elections. Drawing on the inconclusiveness<br />

in the research field, the thesis studies the<br />

on-line activity of political actors as well as the citizens<br />

in Finnish elections between 2003 <strong>and</strong> 2006.<br />

The thesis also examines how different external <strong>and</strong><br />

internal conditions affect the on-line activity of political<br />

actors. Important knowledge of the current<br />

state of on-line politics, the components shaping<br />

it <strong>and</strong> its impact on the politics of representative<br />

democracies is thus provided.<br />

<strong>Åbo</strong> <strong>Akademi</strong> University Press<br />

ISBN 951-765-328-X

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