How the Internet has Opened up new Opportunities to Participate in Politics
In my last post, I spoke about how computer-mediated communication, specifically Facebook appears to be transforming the way we communicate. A knock on affect of this has created new opportunities for political participation. Throughout the past decade political candidates are relying more and more on the internet to fund raise and inform voters of their policies and ideas. This extends whilst in office to using the internet to provide access to an expanding range of information on current governmental polices and activities. With candidates, politicians, and the public becoming ever more reliant on the internet for information, what opportunities has it created for people to become more active in their nations politics. Well here are a few anyone can easily do in the next 5 minutes.
1. Sign an e-petition
The process of signing an e-petition is simple, Change.org website allows you to browse through countless petitions and with one click of the “sign” button, you can show your support towards a specific cause. It is said to be “the web’s leading platform for social change, empowering anyone, anywhere to start petitions that make a difference” (Change.org 2016). It also provides the option to start your own petition, featuring a step by step format to follow. Be part of the change you want to see.
2. Find your local, state or federal representatives and send them a message
Don’t be shy. Let them know what you think. By opening up your local, state or federal government websites you’re able to find the contact details of representatives to send them an email. By making them aware of your concerns, you’re one step closer to change. Another option is to search for their offical social media pages, such as Twitter or Facebook. This so is accessible you can even follow the day to day life President Obama message directly through these platforms.
3. Stay up to date with the news on your representatives
To find the latest news regarding your representatives you just need to go the Hansard. This is the report of the proceedings of the Australian parliament and its committees, which includes the Senate, House of Representatives and the Federation Chamber. The Hansard aims to provide an accurate, substantially verbatim account of the proceedings of the parliament and its committees whilst remaining neutral and unbiased in the topics discussed and the only alterations being obvious mistakes (Parliament of Australia 2016).
4. Comment on the latest news
On the Hansard Australia website, there are options for getting involved, including joining parliamentary committees, opportunities to petition, contact information of various social media sites, and direct contact information such as phone numbers which also indicate their availability.
5. Respond to a professional blogger on a news site
Almost every news outlet has a comment section below their articles, blog posts and videos and they want your feedback. Let them know your thoughts on the discussion topic and give idea for new topics for them to explore. This is one of the best ways to get your ideas out there and for it to reach more people.
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