by Cass R. Sunstein (Author), Cass R. Sunstein (Afterword by)
From the New York Times bestselling author of Nudge and The World According to Star Wars, a revealing account of how today's Internet threatens democracy--and what can be done about it
As the Internet grows more sophisticated, it is creating new threats to democracy. Social media companies such as Facebook can sort us ever more efficiently into groups of the like-minded, creating echo chambers that amplify our views. It's no accident that on some occasions, people of different political views cannot even understand one another. It's also no surprise that terrorist groups have been able to exploit social media to deadly effect. Welcome to the age of #Republic. In this revealing book, New York Times bestselling author Cass Sunstein shows how today's Internet is driving political fragmentation, polarization, and even extremism--and what can be done about it. He proposes practical and legal changes to make the Internet friendlier to democratic deliberation, showing that #Republic need not be an ironic term. Rather, it can be a rallying cry for the kind of democracy that citizens of diverse societies need most.Back Jacket
"What went wrong with social media and also with democracy? Here's the guy who saw it coming, and yes he does have all the answers."--Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School
"With political polarisation on the rise, particularly in the United States, [this book] couldn't come at a more important time."--Stephanie Cutter, former Senior Aide to President Barack Obama and Partner, Precision Strategies
"The Internet has surely enhanced our democracy, with greater access to information and fewer barriers to connecting with each other. However, we're seeing the opposite today with more narrow-minded online platforms and communities, as evidenced by the impact of fake news on this past election.#Republicpointedly captures the risks of the ongoing evolution of social media to our democratic ideals."--Tyler Cowen, author ofThe Great Stagnation
Author Biography
Cass R. Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. His many books include the New York Times bestsellers Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness (with Richard H. Thaler) and The World According to Star Wars. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.