DOES INTERNET USE REALLY FACILITATE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT? Empirical Evidence From the American National Election Studies

1 Civic engagement is known to catalyze government reform and participa-I tory democracy. Informed and empowered citizens are able to facilitate good governance by making all levels of government more efficient, transparent, and accountable. Civic engagement and trust in government 1 and politics, however, have declined for the past 5 decades in the United States (Putnam, 2000; Skocpol, 2003). In modern networked societies, civic engagement may be evolving to take different forms and styles. In particular, Internet use and online engagement are expected to provide a promising avenue for revitalizing democracy in the digital era. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Internet and World Wide Web have transformed the ways people do business. Rople can purchase products 1 through electronic commerce, renew vehicle registrations and pay taxe