POS 353453: 03242005

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POS 353/453 03/24/2005

• Website.
• http//faculty.roosevelt.edu/erickson/courses/pos3
  53-453/
• Course agenda (overview).
• Expanded paper descriptions due.
• Expanded paper description/bibliography - 3
  paper grade.
• Next paper assignment April 21st, worth 10
  paper grade.
• Description, outline, annotated bibliography.
• Website build-out update.
• Geocities continue with project.
• Discussion of concepts introduced by
  readings/video clips.
• Midterm Exam returned and discussed end of class
  (815-820).
• AVG. 84.11. Low 70.25. High 90.

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POS 353/453 03/24/2005

• Course agenda (detailed).
• Parliaments on-Line.
• Review of Parliaments.
• Overview of Norris.
• Parties on-line.
• Case 1 Minnesota School Shooting.
• Case 2 Meetup.com.
• Case 3 Dean Campaign.
• Return Midterm Exams.
• ChoicePoint Follow-up/legislation discussed.
• PBS Newshour. 02/24/2005.

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POS 353/453 03/24/2005

• Parliaments on-Line.
• Review of Parliaments.
• Comprehensive Links.
• Electionworld.org.
• Norris Chapter 7 Questions.
• Which national parliaments are currently online?
• What is the function of parliamentary websites?
• How far do the processes of
• democratization,
• technological diffusion or
• socioeconomic development
• drive variations in the quality of
  parliamentary websites?

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• Parliaments on-Line.
• Norris.
• Functions of Parliamentary Websites.
• Ideally.
• Information top-down.
• Communication bottom-up.
• Operationalization of above.
• Information/Communication indices (139-141).

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• Parties on-line.
• Review of parties on-line.
• Electionworld.org.
• Norris critical questions.
• Map pattern of diffusion of digital politics.
• Consequences for democratization.
• Comprehensive/interactive communication?
• Explanation of pattern
• Democratization?
• Development?
• Technological diffusion.
• Chief drivers?

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• Norris continued.
• Conclusions.
• Parties remain critical mediating institution.
• Digital tech supplements conventional party
  functions.
• Information transparency can be assisted but also
  verges on propaganda.
• Direct democracy critics communication function
  of parties not well served.
• Parties as opposed to interest groups, NSMs, and
  news media.
• Cases explore the interface between parties and
  other entities.

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• Information/Transparency.

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• Parties on-line.
• Case 1 Minnesota School Shooting.
• Shooter posts on neo-Nazi website.
• Libertarian National Socialist Green Party.
• Questions
• Web and amplification of violence?
• Recruitment to violence?
• Dark side of mobilization potential?
• Issue unique to web or can also be applied to
  other mediums?

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• Parties on-line.
• Case 2 Meetup.com.
• Civil society organizations in service of
  parties?
• Meetup.com.
• C-Span Interview with Meetup senior political
  advisor Don Means.
• C-Span Search.
• Questions
• Means view of evolution of partisan role of
  Meetup.
• Example of party mobilization, or civil society
  mobilization.
• What would Norris say, if anything, about
  Meetup.com?

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• Parties on-line.
• Case 3 Dean Campaign.
• New party politics?
• C-Span Interview with Dean former senior
  political advisor Maura Keefe.
• C-Span Search.
• Questions.
• Keefes description of integration of internet
  and Dean campaign.
• Unique opportunities and problematics.
• How critical web component for fundraising.
• What would Norris say about Dean campaign and web
  based party politics?