Conclusions
The experience of the Reform Party web site has shown us a number of emerging
trends in the very young field of political communication in the electronic
realm. As with most Internet users, those who visited the Reform Party site
used the Internet to gather information and to involve themselves in on-line
political discussions. The overwhelming popularity of the Principles of Reform
section and the site's chat rooms speaks for itself. The site provided an
informational resource for those unfamiliar with the party's values and goals,
and also provided a virtual venue for those who supported the party to share,
learn and organize.
While the Reform Party site did not provide the greatest possible depth of
information for users, its clear layout has allowed us to find out exactly what
types of information users seek from a political web site, and what kinds of
features they find useful. While on-line voting and chat rooms were somewhat of
a novelty in 1996, they will likely develop into more common tools of
electronic democracy. If the trends evident in the Reform Party's
groundbreaking use of the web in 1996 persist on a broader scale in future
elections, the Internet could have a major impact on how voters become informed
and how they participate in the political process. Easy, reliable access to
political information and the tools of participation will make it more
convenient and more attractive for citizens to participate in elections. The
Reform Party has shown that electronic democracy can work. As the Internet
continues to grow, so will the possibilities for such interactions on a broad
scale.
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