Political Blogs and participatory democracy: Evidence from Portugal and Spain

Political Blogs and participatory democracy: Evidence from Portugal and Spain Download PDF version-->
Irene Ramos Vielba (Indiana University Bloomington)
The goal of this paper is to contribute to the debate about the possibility that blogs promote mechanisms of electronic democracy, incorporating evidence from political blogs in Portugal and Spain.IntroductionThe proliferation of weblogs (or "blogs") and other new forms of Internet texts presents both challenges and opportunities for educators. The vitality of a democracy requires active citizens who explore new technological platforms for dialogue within politics, culture and education, and as we prepare our students to be citizens, we need to take into account the impact of these rapidly growing forms on civic life.
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