Internet and Democracy - Analysis of network-based communication from cultural

How does the Internet change the public sphere? And in which ways are using po-litical institutions and parliamentarians the Internet for the dialogue with citizens, for political communication in general, and for fostering civic discourses on politi-cal issues? The project focuses on these questions, based on a broader analysis of sociotechnical and cultural aspects and recent trends in online communication. In-stitutional use of the Internet for political communication, mainly in Germany, Great Britain and on the EU level, is analysed as well as the role of the Internet as part of the German public sphere, particularly with regard to the debates on “GM food” and copyright issues. (TAB working report No. 100)