E-Commerce and Local Politics: How Online Business Is Reshaping Civic Engagement

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech will host a public talk examining how the rise of e-commerce is transforming not just business models, but also local political engagement. As more entrepreneurs move away from traditional storefronts, the shift is raising new questions about the relationship between small businesses and civic life.

Featuring Andrew Kerner of Michigan State University and Jane L. Sumner of the University of Minnesota, the discussion will explore how online business. models may weaken the everyday interactions that historically connected business owners to local governance. Drawing on new research and data, the speakers will examine how the decline of brick-and-mortar businesses affects political participation and collective action.

Free and open to the public, the event offers a timely look at how technological change is reshaping both economic and political landscapes at the local level.