The Internet, Policy & Politics Conferences

Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

Dumbacher: Internet Development as Political Comparative Advantage: Estonia in International Organizations

Paper presenter: 
Dumbacher, E.D., US Fulbright Fellow; University of Tartu, Estonia
Abstract: 

This essay discusses the development of Estonia’s Internet and information technology-driven economic development and its effects on the country’s role in international organizations. Since regaining independence in 1991, Estonian policies have initiated, concurrently, innovation in information technology and international integration. To what extent is Estonia’s current position in the multilateral North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Union does the country owe to its information technology sector? Estonian policies were enacted within the context of an interdependent international community, allowing the small country to gain admittance to, and ongoing benefits from, NATO and the EU. This research will argue that through a focus on ICT, Internet-based innovation, and e-government services, Estonia has developed a comparative advantage in international politics.

Authors: 
Erin Dian Dumbacher