Question Prompts for Final Paper

1. The Influence of ICTs on Power and Influence in Politics

A fundamental aspect of politics is influence – different people often have unequal abilities to affect others. How do ICTs relate to power and influence in politics? Consider who are more likely to have disproportional influence in the production of information, which audiences are more likely to be influenced, and what types of content are more likely to be influential. Compare influence in a world where ICTs are prevalent to a world where there are no ICTs. Topics including but not limited to ICTs and news, citizen journalism, political influencers, or bots might be useful.

1. Pros and Cons of Using ICTs to Organize Protests in Authoritarian Countries

If you are an activist organizing a protest in an authoritarian country, what might be the pros and cons of using ICTs to organize the protest? Consider how ICTs build networks for the pros, and the negative consequences of using ICTs for the cons. Topics such as connective action, political influencers, censorship, hate speech, or misinformation may be useful to consider.

1. Impact of ICTs on Citizen Engagement in Politics

Do you think ICTs make citizens more engaged in politics? What are the reasons ICTs might make citizens more engaged, and what are the reasons why ICTs might drive citizens away from political engagement? This is a broad question, so narrow it down on a few aspects, but make sure you cover both reasons why citizens may become engaged and reasons why citizens may become disengaged. Topics such as economic change and populism, citizen journalism, digital governance, connective action, censorship, and many other topics may be relevant.