Presenting an insight into the state of American society, this book shows how the nation talks with itself, and also discusses the impact of the internet. This is a fascinating insight into the state of American society today, showing how the nation talks with itself and what impact the arrival of the internet is making. For years, social scientists, journalists and media critics have lamented the passing of New England style town meetings and the replacement of public settings that allowed for face to face discussions of the political issues of the day by controlled environments such as the workplace and the mall. In addition, much political "conversation" and discussion has not been participated in but overhead through mediated formats such as talk radio or the television talk show. The consequence of these trends has resulted in much hand wringing over the decline of civic engagement, the rise of public apathy, and a lack of deliberation about the political questions of the day. However, there has been much optimism as of late about a new forum of public political conversation that has emerged in the last decade: electronic discussion. Electronic discussion has been touted as a mechanism for true public discourse