The Influence of the Internet on Politics Interactive political games erase old boundaries between reality, news, entertainment, and civic engagement. The Internet is the first thing that might enable a democracy. This may be a viable model for a future political process, where active citizen participation guides the development of positions. The Internet as a true meritocracy, where ideas are pre-eminent and judgment of them blind to the age, gender, background, appearance or skin color of their purveyors.
Political activism is the killer application for the Internet.
Instead of being forced to deal with 30-second sound bytes, people who are interested and want to be politically active can use the Internet to have access to issues, information, and to each other. The Internet is just another way to spread propaganda. Politicians are developing web pages for media attention rather than communication with voters. The presence of politicians on the Net is more reflective of astute marketing than of any sincere interest in an expanded exchange of information. Netizens as New Voting Block Along with militiaman, retirees, farmers, heterosexuals, fundamentalists, animal lovers, and heaven knows how many other splinter groups, Netizens are yet another voting block for the politicians to reckon with.