Political Science on the Internet 

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Lecture Topics 
 

1.  Introduction: 
Politics on the Internet
 
 
 
 
 
 

2.Political Actors on the Internet

  • Candidates 
  • public officials
  • political parties 
  • non-partisan groups
  • interest groups 
  •  individual citizens
  • non conventional groups
  • social movements

 

 

3. Legal Problems

  • libel
  • copyright
  • taxes on the Internet

 


 4. Ethical  and Cultural Issues

  • pornography
  • censorship
  • free speech
  • filtering

 
 


 

 
5. Internet and Democracy

  • positive effects
  • negative impact

6.       Blogs

 

 

 

7. Technology in the Classroom

 

Reading Assignments
Week 1 July 12th to 18th (1.Introduction)  Virtual Community 
Chapter 1  http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/1.html
Chapter 10 http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/10.htm
What is Virtual Community
Social Networking and Video Websites
Social Networking in presidential election campaign
NPR on social networking
Of, By and For the People 
Politics on the Internet
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4077105.stm1

Week 2 July 19th to 25th (2.Pol. Actors)
The candidates: Campaigning on the Net
Presidential Campaign Websites 2008
Campaigning Gets a new web version
On the Electronic Campaign Trail
Web spurs revolution in race for president
The parties:  Democrats and Republicans 
Interest groups: AARP and NRA
Non-conventional groups:  KKK
Hate groups on the Net 
More on hate
Social Movements:  PETA
Individual:  Personal Web Pages  
Other examples of personal websites
Congressional members using the Internet: 
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/011598congress.html

Week 3 July 26th to August 1st (3.Legal Problems)
Libel on the Internet
Mat Drudge and the libel issue 
Copying USA Today
Copyright law
Fair Use on the Internet
Taxes 
Pros and Cons Taxing the Internet

Week 4 August 2nd to 8th (4.Ethics + Culture)
What cookies reveal
(click on YOU in middle of page)
Privacy on the Web
Privacy at work
Privacy and the Patriot Act
Porn on the Internet
Sex is Hot
Sex Drive Innovation
Effect of Porn on Children
Background on Filtering
Pros and Cons Filtering
A content analysis Porn
What to allow as free speech  
How terrorist use the internet
How terrorists use the Web

Week 5 August 9th to 15th (5.Democracy, 6 Blogs)
A dissenting view Internet voting
Electronic Democracy
http://www.telepolis.de/tp/english/special/pol/8006/2.html 
The Digital Divide
Blog (definition and much more)
Power and Politics of Blogs
Index Political Blogs
Blogs
How to Measure the Influence of Blogosphere
War Blogs
Sample War Blog
10 Things We Learned About Blogs

 

 
Issues raised by teaching with technology
Negative impact on students

 

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  Questions:Joe Gaziano
Lewis University, One University Parkway, Romeoville, Il. 60446
         
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