Politics as Usual: The Cyberspace `Revolution'

Cyberspace is no longer a mystery. It has become irrevocably intertwined with everyday life, facilitating everything from reading the news and paying the bills to ordering birthday presents. We are in the midst of a revolution in mass communication, and there is now technology that can create new forms of community, empowering citizens and challenging existing power structures. Some have argued that this technology will change the face of the American polity. But will such changes occur? In this fascinating addition to Sage's Contemporary American Politics series, Michael Margolis and David Resnick argue, trenchantly and persuasively, that hopes for a transformation of the American political system through "cyberpolitics" are likely to go unfulfilled. They suggest that cyberpolitics will not-and cannot- overcome the tendency of our political system to normalize political activity. Politics as Usual begins with a brief history of cyberspace and then moves to a discussion of political parties, interest groups, candidates, mass media, information dissemination, and commercial uses of the Internet. Margolis and Resnick offer an innovative and exciting look into previously ignored aspects of the Internet and American politics.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Margolis as Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati. He received his A.B. from Oberlin College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He has served on the faculties of the University of Pittsburgh and the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow in Scotland, and as Fulbright Lecturer at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea. David Resnick is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati and Director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Citizenship. He received his A.B. from Columbia College (Columbia University) and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.