The Information Revolution and World Politics » (1st Edition)

This readable and cogent book provides a much-needed overview of the information revolution in a global context. First tracing the historical evolution of communications since the development of the printing press, Elizabeth C. Hanson then explores the profound ways that new information and communication technologies are transforming international relations. Hanson considers the controversies over the present and future impact of a radically new information and communications environment as part of larger debates over globalization and the role of technology in historical change. Her carefully chosen case studies and judicious use of relevant research provide a firm basis for readers to evaluate competing arguments on this contentious issue.

Preface     ix
The Information Revolution     1
World Politics in a New Media Environment     3
Technology, Society, and Historical Change     4
An "Interactivist" Approach to Technological Innovation     7
Conclusion     10
The Origins of the Information Revolution     13
The Printing Press: The First Mass Medium     14
The Electric Telegraph: Conquering Time and Space     17
The Telephone     21
The Strange Career of Wireless Telegraphy     24
The Invention of Broadcasting     28
Conclusion     38
The Globalization of Communication     47
Globalizing Technologies     48
The New Media Environment     64
Conclusion: The Revolution Continues     86
War and Peace in the Information Age     97
Foreign Policymaking in the New Information Environment     98
Open Diplomacy on the Fast Track     108
Conflict and War in the Information Age     119
Conclusion     131
The Information Revolution, the Global Economy, and the Distribution of Wealth     139
ICTs and the Global Economy     139
Economic Globalization: TheDebate     152
ICTs, Globalization, and the Distribution of Wealth     158
Conclusion     173
Global Communication and the Nation-State     179
The Debate     180
Global Technologies, State Control, and Political Change     184
Transnational Politics     189
Transnational Ethnic Networks     198
Culture, Identity, and the New Media     205
Conclusion     212
Issues and Choices     221
Control, Access, and Purpose     223
Prosperity, National Sovereignty, and Democracy     228
Bibliography     235
Index     253
About the Author     269