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The Student Side of the The Challenge of Democracy Site
Updated March 10, 2017

Internet Links for Chapter 7: Participation and voting

Chapter 7 points out that political participation comes in many forms--unconventional as well as conventional. Internet technology offers individuals new opportunities for political participation. Here are some key sites, and a few links to New Voting Technology


Political Participation
Initiative & Referendum Institute
Most complete source of information on use of initiatives and referenda to make policy in American states.
Public Interest Group Network
"The Public Interest Network is a group of people and organizations working to address questions that our society can't afford to ignore."
eDemocracy
"E-Democracy.org builds online public space in the heart of real democracy and community. Our mission is to harness the power of online tools to support participation in public life, strengthen communities, and build democracy."
Rock the Vote
"Over the last two decades, Rock the Vote has registered more young people to vote than any other organization or campaign, and we intend to register and turn out millions more in years to come &endash; and to be the best-informed place online where young people can find out what they need to know before casting a ballot."
Vote Project Vote Smart
Uses computer technology to help voters find candidates who share their opinions.
Move On
"The MoveOn family of organizations is made up of a couple of different pieces. MoveOn.org Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, formerly known just as MoveOn.org, primarily focuses on education and advocacy on important national issues. MoveOn.org Political Action, a federal PAC, formerly known as MoveOn PAC, mobilizes people across the country to fight important battles in Congress and help elect candidates who reflect our values." MoveOn backs liberal candidates and causes.
MeetUp
Used heavily in campaigns during the 2000s to organize political meetings.
eGovernment Experience
"This section is dedicated to the analysis of success and failure in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in governmental activities."
Future of E-Democracy
A speech on the topic: A 50-Year Plan.
iSolon
iSolon.org is a policy institute committed to exploring and advancing opportunities for democratic reform brought about by new information technologies.   It focuses on the most difficult areas of democratic reform--where elected officials have a conflict of interest in bringing about reforms that might reduce their own power.
Public Strategies for the Online World
Steven Clift: "I coined the term "e-democracy" in 1994, or using current buzzwords … I work with the use of social media for citizen engagement, public participation, transparency, Government 2.0 and related topics."
Pew Internet and American Life
A decade of surveys on social networking sites.
The Center for Voting and Democracy
"FairVote acts to transform our elections to achieve secure access to participation for all, a full spectrum of meaningful ballot choices and majority rule with fair representation. As a catalyst for change, we build support for innovative strategies to win a constitutionally protected right to vote, universal voter registration, a national popular vote for president, instant runoff voting and proportional voting."
Voter Information Services
"VIS is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. VIS does not support or oppose any politician, advocacy group, or issue. Our goal is to help interested citizens learn about the effects of the federal laws enacted (or not enacted) by the U.S. Congress on our everyday lives, and the role of the individual members of Congress in the legislative process."
Select Smart (for choosing candidates)
This site focused on the 2016 presidential election.
IDEA: Voter Turnout Data Hub
"The International IDEA Voter Turnout Website contains the most comprehensive global collection of voter turnout statistics available. Regularly updated voter turnout figures for national presidential and parliamentary elections since 1945, as well as European Parliament elections, are presented country by country using both the number of registered voters and voting age population (VAP) as indicators"
New Voting Technology
National Initiative for Democracy
"The National Initiative for Democracy is a proposal which will permit citizens to make laws by ballot initiative. Creates a ballot initiative process at all levels of government including at the federal level. Becomes a new check in our system of checks and balances"
Verified Voting: Problems with eVoting
Champions reliable and publicly verifiable elections in the United States. Promotes paper trail for electric voting.