The impact that the Internet has had and is having on the political process, especially in the US, is the concern of this book. The Internet is a recent phenomenon, and its effect on politics has been rapid and not completely understood. The book is wide-ranging and covers a number of areas.

Rash presents the case that the importance of being able to get a message immediately and reliably to either the members or the supporters of an organization cannot be overstated. Time-honored practices, such as precinct organizations and telephone trees, have become obsolete in the face of email lists, messaging, and information delivery through the World Wide Web. The book cites a number of examples, such as the Kerry campaign in Massachusetts, of the power and probable future of electronic technology.

For some groups, the Internet is the only medium through which they can organize. Groups with few members spread thinly, that in the past could never have existed at all, can now become viable organizations. Once their members find each other, they can become forces in the political universe, because they can communicate with the government and make their positions known.

Finding potential voters and members for political organizations is always time-consuming. The Internet will provide an easy and inexpensive way to collect basic contact information to recruit new members. The author notes that “if Lenin had the net, it would have taken much less time to have a revolution” (p. 159).

While there are many legal difficulties in raising funds online, they are not overwhelming. The primary problem is insuring that people are who they say they are or represent the people they say they represent. When political groups work on the next set of elections, electronic cash transfer and electronic cash equivalents will make political fundraising significantly easier than it has been.

A constant presence that Internet users find interesting and attractive can create use habits that persist. If users find that a political party’s Web site consistently delivers accurate and reliable information on a subject in which they are interested, they will return to the site repeatedly. This will eventually lead them to identify the party itself as reliable and accurate and lead them to more closely identify with the party or its positions.

Political organizations are finding that they can work together if they share members with common interests. Organizations that share philosophies are already working together, at least to the extent of providing links to each other’s Internet sites.

A dominant theme throughout the book is the problem political parties and groups have with the media filtering their messages. They are finding that it is important to have an easily accessible Web site, where their message can be given with completeness, timeliness, and accuracy. Many organizations believe that the sound bite mentality and simplified quotes of the traditional media do not give the public the message they wish to convey. A good Web site can provide interactivity and the impression that the candidate or organization is actually listening and reacting to one’s opinion.

The author believes that he has made the case that “as the Internet becomes a necessity in politics, political communications will change dramatically. The voters will have a voice that reaches directly to the highest levels of both parties and the government. Voters will be in a better position to hold their representatives accountable” (p. 181). He believes that this “will significantly change politics forever” (p. 181).

This book is easy to read and contains a great deal of information, both factual and anecdotal. Some of the information is a bit dated (for example, the Supreme Court ruled on the Communications Decency Act shortly after the book was published), but that is a common problem with books on computing. The material in some chapters is repetitious--for example, the numerous descriptions of the Democratic and Republican National Committee sites and convention sites.

As a whole, the book is an interesting read and would be valuable to political scientists and to anyone interested in the impact of computer technology on society and perhaps on ethics. It will be interesting to reread this book in five years to see what has changed.