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The Internet in Theory Reevaluated: Theorizing the Role of the Internet in the Political Space

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Electronic Governance and Open Society: Challenges in Eurasia (EGOSE 2019)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1135))

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to critically reevaluate the capacity of the theories on the internet in politics to grasp the increasing impact of the internet to political space in all countries with rising internet penetration rate. At first, the paper clarifies the current level of the internet coverage around the world and Russia as one of the examples. The influence of the increasing impact of the internet for social spaces and the political space among them in countries with unlimited internet availability is discussed and the conclusion is drawn that the internet influence the political space in the most significant way. Secondly, the paper analyzes the main theoretical approaches to the internet role in politics and draws the conclusion on the shortcomings in the level of the theories and their nationally biased specifics. Finally, it is concluded that the existing theories are incapable to cover the complexity of the effects of the internet on political space. The importance of a macro-theory which can overcome the ideological biases that is characteristic for national approaches to the topic of the role of the internet in politics and can help to analyze the multilayered and controversial influence of the internet on the political space is emphasized.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cambridge, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 9DA, UK

    Galina Nikiporets-Takigawa

  2. Russian State Social University, Vilgelma Pika St. 4, 129226, Moscow, Russian Federation

    Galina Nikiporets-Takigawa

Authors
  1. Galina Nikiporets-Takigawa
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Correspondence to Galina Nikiporets-Takigawa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Andrei Chugunov

  2. Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Igor Khodachek

  3. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Yuri Misnikov

  4. ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Dmitrii Trutnev

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Nikiporets-Takigawa, G. (2020). The Internet in Theory Reevaluated: Theorizing the Role of the Internet in the Political Space. In: Chugunov, A., Khodachek, I., Misnikov, Y., Trutnev, D. (eds) Electronic Governance and Open Society: Challenges in Eurasia. EGOSE 2019. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1135. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39296-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39296-3_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-39295-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-39296-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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