Google and Democracy: Politics and the Power of the Internet

Book Details

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

• Author: Sean Richey and J. Benjamin Taylor

• Language: English

• Edition: 1

• ISBN: 9781138066434

• Pages: 200

• Binding: Hardcover

About the Book

Google and Democracy: The Influence of Google Search on Political Knowledge and Behavior by Sean Richey and J. Benjamin Taylor is the first in-depth exploration of how Google Search influences American politics, particularly in the realm of direct democracy. In a time when access to information on nearly any topic is at the tip of our fingers through the Internet, Google Search has become a powerful tool for disseminating political knowledge. However, its profound influence on politics, especially democratic processes like voting, has remained under-researched.

Through original experiments and nationally representative data, Richey and Taylor reveal the impact of Google Search on political engagement. They demonstrate that Google provides quality information, that users click on informative content, and, as a result, gain political knowledge that influences their decisions. The book also correlates Google usage with real-world voting behavior on ballot measures, showing how this tool shapes democratic outcomes.

This work offers a new theoretical perspective on how Google Search functions in the context of direct democracy, Internet politics, and the broader influence of information technology on civic engagement. Google and Democracy is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the intersection of technology, politics, and democracy, and how the Internet has transformed the way citizens engage with political issues.