Can New Media be a better tool for Governance?
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Abstract
Given the unique characteristics of the New Media, the technology offers real opportunities for democratization and political transformation, especially in societies where the basic rights of freedom of expression and the press are constricted by state control. This paper seeks to challenge this main assumption by examining the impact of the Internet along with the politics surrounding its use
in Asia, with specific attention to the cases of China and Singapore. This paper postulates that in the cases of certain authoritarian regimes such as China and Singapore, not only has the presence and use of the Internet failed to spawn strong opposition movements, but authorities in these states have cleverly entered the domain of online expression and have utilized the technology to improve governance and control of these societies.
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