Webmasters Reveal the Rules: Do Regulations Compromise Legislators’ Online Communication With Constituents?

In a nationwide study of state legislative Web sites, Narro, Mayo, and Miller found that the communication tools (i.e., weblogs, electronic newsletters, online polling) that state legislators offer vary more from state to state than legislator to legislator. Taking their information into account, this article addresses regulations put on legislators ’ home pages. The author interviewed Webmasters in 44 states and found that having less limitations and allowing legislators freedom to manipulate their home pages encourage them to use these home pages for active communication. Although most states do not allow state legislators to use home pages as a campaign tool, some allow free flow of communication between legislators and constituents. The researcher found that legislators would use their home pages more as a communication tool if given the freedom. However, change begins with legislators, who are the policy makers. Whether they have freedom is their own choice. Keywords state legislature, online communication, constituent relationship-building strategies, Webmaster interviews The use of the Internet as a political campaign tool has been studied extensively. While some researchers have exam ined whether the Internet aids politicians vying for positions higher on the political career ladder (Smith, 2003), others have focused entirely on the legislative Web site as a whol