I know that pre-federalist America was made up of many relatively small autonomous communities. It seems to me like this sociopolitical structure is an essential aspect of direct democracy. Tribe.net is a good example of people organizing themselves into communities, but can the internet really support the type of community interaction that is necessary to keep people engaged in any political body? Don't we also need to live with our tribes?

My point is this: I live in a community. In this community, nobody knows eachother, or at least interactions are very little. We do not share lifestyles and common space. We are closed off from one another, and many of us are antithetically opposed to eachother on a great deal of issues. I live in a typical American suburb. We are this way because of representative government and the breakup of community living.

In order for a system of governance that actually involves my community members to take place, interest in the community would need to be fostered... interactions increased and enhanced. Unfortunately, interactions are unwanted. Governance is in the hands of representatives, and the people around me are not interested in the co-governance of our immediate surroundings.

The internet seems to provide a useful outlet for community interaction, but unless living communities are linked through the internet, exercisable power will not be within the grasp of internet communities, except over the content of their wesites or other e-tools for organization.

We, as a country, have alot of computers, yet I can't IM the people on my street. I can't easily let them know what I'd like to implement in our community, and the current political structure doesn't support implementation. How can I change that?

I'm basically uneducated when it comes to the political sciences, but I'm interested in implementing direct democracy and community building. What is the first step? I don't really know. Should it be the linking of one another in my own living community? Should it be finding a new living community? How can I get people involved in a new democratic process when representative governance doesn't grant them the power they would need in order to maintain an interest in exercising directly?

Sorry so long. :) I look forward to responses that can further clarify the issue for me.

-Bear