That is particularly true of media technology, where the internet has become an integral part of everyday life. In terms of populism, the media has played an important role in carrying out campaigns for political parties and individual candidates. There are various websites on the Internet whose primary aim is to bring and disseminate political information to people. To name a handful, these websites include the Blaze, the Huffington Post, NewsMax, and the Drudge Report. Even though the websites always carry vital information and are capable of reaching a multitude of people within a short duration, there are those that are reliable, and some are fake as they spread false information and propaganda. The internet impacts the American Democracy in various ways depending on their reliability, the effect they might have on the political system, and the quality of the American Democracy.
The websites are political in that they tend to give the relevant political information to the public. They also teach and inform the individuals on the new policy moves that the leaders are taking and through that, they can also give their personal opinions. The sites are also political because they are under the management of the editors and reporters who are politically qualified and can provide the detailed analysis of the current political affairs. Moreover, they always talk about the American legislation such as the President Trump’s political moves and the effects they create in the country.
How the Political Websites affect the American Political System
The internet of late has become the vital instrument for the United States nationals when it comes to the gaining of the political comprehension and also in the engagement in the political process. According to some scholars, the internet is capable of revitalizing the American democratic society thereby allowing the citizens to have a command in the political possessions that are vital in becoming effectively self-governing (Baker, p. 72). The creation of the shift in democracy by the internet is not a new idea at all; it started with the revolution of the radio, newspaper, and the television as through each, there was the raising of the same question. There was the possibility of gaining direct information by the public from the radio and television. When it comes to the internet, it does not only offer access to the information but also along with it is the potential to empower the citizens. According to Andrew Shapiro, the advances in the internet can allow every national not to be just poor people but like citizen governors in the political perspective (Baker, p. 72).
The suggestion of the Megan Baker is that the internet does not carry as much political competency as believed by many scholars. He came up with an assumption which he named as the accelerated pluralism in describing the probable upcoming relationship. The statement of the theory is that the Net is the acceleration of the process of the formation of the issue group and action leaving the U.S political supremacy organization altered, but no revolutionary or transformation into a new period of egalitarianism. He went further to state that the expansion of the communication system and the effect it has on the political contribution all depends on the previously instilled compliance of an individual to take part even without the internet. In other words, Baker states that it is not the technology that creates more contribution to the politics, but the internet facilitates that involvement for those having the desire to do so which they never had previously before the rise of the web.
The engagement in the internet-based communication is one of the ways that people get involved in the political affairs. Such forms of communication have the potential of creating a paradigm move regarding the political discussion. The revolution on the internet has created that means of communication in which the citizens can gather the relevant political information relating to the performance of the political organizations which enables them in adjusting their attitudes on which party to support. According to the video malaise theory, the media negativity together with the politics reporting as the horse race, often create skepticism that lowers that trust in the political organizations (Ceron, p. 488). The other theory is the virtuous cycle that states that the media especially the internet has that effect of increasing the civic engagement, the citizens’ interest in politics, and more trust in the government.
The strategic utilization of the political websites during the campaign periods has become valuable for the political parties and the individual participants who vie for the various positions. Such sites make it possible for the aspirants and the potential voters to interact and dialogue successfully thus bringing that new dynamic into the American politics. The internet discussion in the political websites is comparable to speaking to the audience in the political street wall as it is impolite to ignore without replying people’s questions online. A good instance is the 2016 American general elections where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton the Republican and Democrat candidates respectively hired individuals to answer everything on social media regarding their political undertakings.
The Reliability of the Political Sites
Judging the reliability of the political websites on the internet is always crucial as there are no regulatory bodies that observe whatever such sites usually post. There are those sites that are reliable and offer valid information regarding the aspirants, while some are misleading and giving false information. An instance is the Drudge Report which is always a collection of links which many critics believe to be favoring some individuals and even political parties. The website’s founder Matt Drudge became prominent after being the first resource to break the scandal of the Monica Lewinsky when the other media sources such as the Newsweek withdrawn from publishing the story. Since then, the report has turn out to be the haven for the conformists who are taking the aims at the liberals.
Another example is the TownHall which is a conservative’s self-proclaimed website whose primary goal is the provision of the political commentary and analysis. TownHall aims at the obstructions that exist between the opinion and news and goes ahead to offer that ground for the conservatives to be able to champion their judgments on the political affairs. The site always has an update on discussions that are vital to the world, for instance, the policies of President Donald Trump and how they may hurt or bring the world together. Such sites are always reliable as they tackle the political affairs that are current and do not give any false information regarding particular leaders and their political undertakings but give valid information.
Improving the Quality of U.S. Democracy
The United States democracy always gets the flaws due to the low level of contribution from the citizens. The deprived individuals and those who have no proper education are always doubtful to vote, meaning that the politicians can always safe and sound pay no attention to their interests. Moreover, even the nationals who do take part in the voting process, join the political organizations, and even contribute funds to such associations still don’t find the gratifying ways to partake in the voting process. The literature today advocates that the internet has offered the right cure for such problems. The new invention of responsive digital communications expertise has made it possible for the improvement in the quality of the American democracy.
The political websites always bring convenience in the various forms of political participation thus encouraging the citizens’ involvement in the matters of politics. It has become possible to make contributions politically, be it financial or opinion, and even voting from the comfort of home without necessarily traveling to the political sites. Through that, the majority are now capable of exercising their democratic rights thereby improving the quality of the United States’ democracy (Levine, p. 121). At the same time, such political sites make the information readily available to the nationals making them have the right knowledge which is vital to enable them to have the essential understanding for the effective participation in the political affairs.
Once the critical information reaches the citizens, they can become informed and influential in the political arena. Thus they can diffidently consent to more extensive involvement. The last year’s American general election still emerges as it is evident how the various candidates were frequently on the online referenda. As a result, the public will be in that position of making the right choices without the involvement of the arbitrating institutions such as the legislatures, newspapers, and even the government that may be biased. The political sites have made that possible, and in doing so, it has improved the eminence of the American democracy. In fact, the websites give the citizens that greater control over the decisions that they partook unlike previously when the government did that for the citizens. According to the early and powerful viewer Howard Rheingold, the internet is the great equalizer when it comes to the balancing of power between the populace and the power tycoons (Levine, p. 122).
While the political websites’ responsibility continues to evolve in the political dominion, there are those particular affiliations that need exploration between the politician’s utilization of the sites and the public’s opinion. The national campaigns no longer rely on the traditional media in reaching the public, but it has become easier through the Internet sites. The tendency and the accessibility of posting the personal and candid information online benefit the politicians as it reaches a vast number of people enabling them in the sales of their policies. There should be a governing body to look into the political websites so that they don’t give the false information of the political parties and their several aspirants. Through that, the public will always get the right information which would enable them in making the best choices politically without bias.
Works Cited
Baker, Megan. "The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Politics." The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research, vol. 10, no. 1, 2009, pp. 70-74.
Ceron, Andrea. "Internet, News, and Political Trust: The Difference Between Social Media and Online Media Outlets." Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 20, no. 5, 5 June 2015, pp. 487-503.
Levine, Peter. "Democracy�s Moment." Peter Levine, www.peterlevine.ws/Internetdemocracy.htm.
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