In this book, Paulo Gerbaudo explores a new generation of political parties, united by technologies of communication and the development of a shared political vision of participatory democracy. From the 2011 internet-supported protest of the indignados in Spain, and Occupy Wall Street in the US, to the rise of anti-austerity ''net-parties'' including the 5 Star Movement in Italy, experimentation with digital technologies is now a means of mass mobilisation. The book highlights a number of key aspects that inform these new parties: their expansive character, proceduralism, anti-leaderism and emphasis on unity, thus providing readers with a powerful explanatory grid to make sense of the culture of contemporary internet-based parties, of their promise and threats. By drawing on an extensive empirical dataset, the book will be comprised of 50 in-depth interviews, observations of protest events and electoral campaigns and analysis of movement messages.The author overcomes the limits of current analyses of net parties that are either too theoretical, or too focused on very local and movement-specific phenomena. Gerbaudo offers an original contribution, which provides a conceptual toolkit to develop new strategies of communication and organisation in future movements that might build on the revolutionary potential of pirate democracy.
Industry Reviews
'In this refreshing, imaginative and conceptually sophisticated book, Paolo Gerbaudo takes us on a compelling journey across Europe to understand the digitally native political parties at the forefront of a profound process of organizational evolution. Gerbaudo convincingly explains the positive and negative implications of this process, and why it matters for the future of democracy' -- Andrew Chadwick, author of 'The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power'
'In a historic moment when political parties are losing their capacity to represent citizens, new party models have grown and often achieved unexpected success. This book is an important contribution to the conceptualization of digital parties and the understanding of their evolution' -- Donatella Della Porta, Dean of the Institute for Humanities and the Social Sciences, Scuola Normale Superiore and author of 'Movement Parties in Times of Austerity'
'With a rare mix of narrative flair and analytical insight, Gerbaudo tells the riveting story of how tech-savvy leaders and 'connected outsiders' have reshaped politics in the digital era' -- John Postill, author of 'The Rise of Nerd Politics'
'Paolo Gerbaudo shows how the internet shapes contemporary politics and vice versa. A must read for everyone interested in digital politics' -- Christian Fuchs, author of 'Digital Demagogues: Authoritarian Capitalism in the Age of Trump and Twitter'
'Gerbaudo shows how technology-based "platform parties" are designed, how they fit into the history of political parties, and how they reflect changes in politics, society, economics, and communication. This rich analysis looks at both the promise and the limitations of these fascinating political experiments' -- Lance Bennett, University of Washington
'This book by Paolo Gerbaudo goes deep into the "morbid" crossroads of our present and offers us suggestive ideas on the key elements of its emerging political practice. A brilliant work' -- German Cano, University of Alcala de Henares, member of the founding group of Podemos
'A wide-ranging, and international, survey of those parties that have gone furthest to embrace the organisational changes the new modes of communication demand of us all and as such is a compelling read for the future of politics' -- Philosophy Football