This timely book takes stock of the state of the art and future of electronic democracy, exploring the history and potential of e-democracy in the global perspective. Analyzing the digital divide, the role of the internet as a tool for political mobilization, internet Voting and Voting Advice Applications, and other phenomena, the book critically engages with the hope for more transparency and political participation through e-democracy. Approaching e-democracy from a comparative perspective, the book allows for an in-depth analysis of the new face of democracy. This groundbreaking collection brings together, from a global perspective, the latest insights into how technology impacts everyday democracy. Covering new trends and developments - such as social network sites, other web 2.0 applications, and electronic campaigning - the book's contributors navigate the reader brilliantly through a terrain which can be seen as both a multiplier or a threat for democracies worldwide. (Series: The World of Political Science - The Development of the Discipline)