33. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Informatik an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitt.pdfVIP

33. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Informatik an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main29.9. –2.10. 2003 Co-Evolution of Information Revolution and Spread of Democracy Walter Frisch University Vienna - Institute of Government and Comparative Social Science walter.frisch@univie.ac.at Abstract: This is a short summary of a recent survey [FR03] focusing on the observed evidence, that Internet connectivity is positively correlated with spread of democracy at high levels of significance. The results of multivariate correlation analysis and probabilities regression estimate models are based on the combined analysis of mid - 1991’s, to 2001 data series of the Eurostat’s and US Census Bureau, the World Bank, and OECD’s statistical data service which track the growth of information technology and rating of freedom and democracy worldwide. 1 Conceptual and Methodological Problems of Measurement The rapid social and economic diffusion of ICT since 1990 has been stimulated by rapid changes in computing power, applications, telecommunications, and networks, as well as concurrent reductions in the cost of technology and, in some cases, improvements in ease of use. This has led to profound changes in behaviour of citizens and transformation of traditional modes of power. One major difficulty in analyzing the effect of ICT on society is the difficulty in obtaining reliable national and internationally comparable data. There is little reliable, accepted, long -term data on either the diffusion of ICT or its effects on society. The rat