Cyber-campaign 2000: The function of the Internet in Canadian electoral politics

History has shown that innovation in communication technology translate into innovations in politics and political communication. This notion has lead many to consider the potentiality of the Internet as a political tool. The Internet began playing a role in election campaigns around 1994. However, much of the literature on the Internet in the political arena is largely anecdotal. Using the 2000 Canadian General Election as a case study, this thesis examines function of the Internet in Canadian electoral politics. After an in-depth examination of four Canadian political partie Web sites, this thesis outlines the many ways in which the Internet functioned in this election. This thesis suggests that campaign 2000 will be remembered as the election when political campaigning went online becoming cyber-campaigning, as the Internet clearly played a role for political parties. Moreover, it concludes that the Internet has created a new venue for politics in Canada.