Abstrakt: |
From the second half of the 1980s onward, Western governments have been pursuing vigorously the implementation of digitalization policies. As a result, political institutions and administrative procedures have been progressively computerized. Even non-Western countries like China, India, and Russia have started reform processes aiming at the creation of 'virtual states.' Concurrently, developments in the Internet and related technologies have affected international relations, either heightening conflict or strengthening cooperation. e-Democracy and e-government projects and policies have generated numerous case studies, leading to a solid research tradition investigating the extent to which politics has been transformed. However, theoretical development to understand the geopolitical strategies designed by states in order to control and regulate digital networks has lagged behind. This article analyzes the main trajectories followed by states in their digitalization processes, highlighting their constitutional and geopolitical relevance. It explores the relationships between the state and information and communication technologies and proposes a set of typologies of digital regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |