---
title: "The impact of the internet on politics"
description: "Is the internet the lever for direct democracy? Or is it a wedge for political polarization? An assessment of the first 10 years of online politics."
date: "2006-11-06"
authors:
  - name: "Lee Rainie"
    job_title: "Former Director, Internet and Technology Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/lee-rainie/"
  - name: "Michael Cornfield"
    job_title: "Guest Contributor"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2006/11/06/the-impact-of-the-internet-on-politics/"
tags:
  - "politics"
---

# The impact of the internet on politics

There have been many predictions about the impact of the internet on politics. Is the internet the lever for direct democracy? Or is it a wedge for political polarization? Either conclusion may prove too simple. To understand how technology might reshape politics in the years ahead, consider what we’ve learned from the initial decade of online campaigning, and how our various fears and hopes have fared.