When the House of Commons Chamber was damaged by bombs in 1941 it was rebuilt exactly as it was. This was despite the fact that even then there were many flaws in the design of the Chamber, which is unsurprising since it had been the locus of English Parliament since the 16th century. Churchill (1951) was well aware of the importance of the decision not to take the opportunity to renew the design. Maintaining the oblong shape of the Chamber, as opposed to the more modern semicircle was a political as well as an architectural choice.
“Here is a very potent factor in our political life. The semicircular assembly, which appeals to political theorists, enables every individual or every group to move round the centre, adopting various shades of pink according as the weather changesâ?¦The party system is much favoured by the oblong form of chamber. It is easy for an individual to move through those insensible gradations from left to right, but the act of crossing the Floor is one which requires serious attention.” (Churchill 1951).
The purpose of this example above is to illustrate the main point of this thesis: The regulation of technology is the regulation of democracy. In the same way as the regulation of the physical space of the Chamber enhances and supports the traditional party system. This thesis will exemplify, discuss and analyse the democratic effects of the regulation of information and communications technology (ICT).