Democratic+Divide

__**Democratic divide**__ is one of the aspects in the concept of digital divide. The other two involve: the global divide among countries and social stratification within countries.

The democratic divide concerns the potential impact of the digital world on the distribution of power and influence in political systems. Mainly, the issue of those who use the internet for political resources and civic engagement compare to those who do not use it.

According to the cyber-optimists' perspective, the internet allows ordinary citizens to be involved in direct democracy. This is done through political chat-rooms, electronic voting, and the mobilization of virtual communities, revitalizing levels of mass participation in public affairs. On the other hand, the cyber-pessimists regard digital technology (mainly internet) unleashing inqualities of power and wealth, reinforcing deeper divisions between the information rich and poor. The main idea is that the internet politics will disproportionately benefit the elite. Lastly, the cyber-skeptics argue that the internet hasn't yet caused any major impact in the political spectrum, even in countries with many internet users like the United States, Australia, and Sweden.


 * Democratic divide-** perhaps one of the most intractable issues concerns the potential impact of the digital world on the distribution of power and influence in political systems. Even if we assume for the sake of argument that Internet penetration rates will gradually widen throughout society there is growing awareness that nevertheless a substantial democratic divide may still exist between those who do and do not use the multiple political resources available on the Internet for civil engagement.

(Norris, 2000) - Impact of digital technology on distribution of power and influence in political systems -
 * Democratic Divide**


 * - Cyber-optimists:** more direct democracy (political chat rooms, electronic voting, mobilization of virtual communities)


 * Envisioned the postive role of the Internet for transforming poverty in developing societies
 * Hope that in affluent postindustrial societies, at least, the digital divide will eventually succumb to the combined forces of technological innovations, markets and the state.
 * Emphasize possibilites of the Internet for the involvment of ordinary citizens in direct democracy.

- Insurgent movements: aided by internet to mobilize and express opinions outside of mainstream Works Cited Webster, Frank, Raimo Blom, Erkki Karvonen, Harri Melin, Karrle Nordenstreng, and Puoskari Ensio. __The Information Society Reader__. 2nd ed. London: Rouledge Student Readers, 2002. 277-288.
 * -** **Cyber-pessimists**__:__ internet politics privileges the elite who already are active
 * Emphasize that digital technolgies will further exacerbate the existing North-South divide.
 * Emphasize deep-seated patterns of social stratification and the growth of an unskilled underclass in technological access.
 * Regard digital technology as a Pandora's box unleashing new inequalities of power and wealth, reinforcing deeper divisions between the information rich and poor, and the tuned-in and the activist and the disengaged.
 * - Cyber-Skeptics:**
 * Believe that new technologies alone will make little differences one way or another
 * Believe that technologies adapt to society, not vice versa
 * Argue that both these visions are exxaggerated, since so far the potential of the Internet has failed to have a dramatic impact on the practical reality of 'politics as usual', for good or ill, even in countries at the forefront of digital technologies.