Deliberate Democracy In The Information Age

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate November 2001

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Deliberative Democracy in the Information Age The Internet today could help or deter democratic participation. By using the net I could promote hate groups and negative consequences as such. The Internet can also be very helpful and important. Ideas and views that would never have been viewed by such a wide range of people. Exposing the population to new ideas and responsibilities.

The Boston Tea Party is a hypothetical group made up Sunstein to discuss social fragmentation. The group was originally formed over the right to bear arms, the second amendment. The group was based on a web site that had an open forum were people expressed there ideas, views, statements, and review on this topic.(Sunstein 51) The web site eventually adopted new beliefs too. People started expressing views on the growing authority of the government on private issues, maintaining our European heritage and traditional values, and the increasing social power of African American.(Sunstein

51) With the new beliefs came more members and increase in the tension of the issues discussed. The beliefs are becoming more radical and over seventy percent of the members' now own firearms. There have been several protests in public places. There were also plans of forming strikes in masses in public and private areas. Members are posting plans to make bombs and such. One member mailed the plans to every other member in the group. The group seems to be getting increasingly hostile.(Sunstein 52) Through the views of the certain members other people were adopting there views, and now believe it themselves. When one member starts to make plans of violence others who believe the same thing will surely join him. When people are freely allowed to express there views over a platform such as the internet they can change others views for better or...