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The Internet in Theory Reevaluated: Theorizing the Role of the Internet in the Political Space
The aim of this paper is to critically reevaluate the capacity of the theories on the internet in politics to grasp the increasing impact of the internet to political space in all countries with rising internet penetration rate. At first, the paper clarifies the current level of the internet coverage around the world and Russia as one of the examples. The influence of the increasing impact of the internet for social spaces and the political space among them in countries with unlimited internet availability is discussed and the conclusion is drawn that the internet influence the political space in the most significant way. Secondly, the paper analyzes the main theoretical approaches to the internet role in politics and draws the conclusion on the shortcomings in the level of the theories and their nationally biased specifics. Finally, it is concluded that the existing theories are incapable to cover the complexity of the effects of the internet on political space. The importance of a macro-theory which can overcome the ideological biases that is characteristic for national approaches to the topic of the role of the internet in politics and can help to analyze the multilayered and controversial influence of the internet on the political space is emphasized.